Turkish forces have killed at least 140 people and injured 215 others in military operations on Iraqi Kurdish soil, according to a new report by the End Cross-border Bombing Campaign.
The casualties occurred in 97 separate incidents between 2015 and 2022. The highest number of deaths occurred in 2018, with 26 people killed, while the number of injuries peaked the following year at 46. The years 2020 and 2021 shared the top spot for the number of incidents with 20 each, with a total of 47 people killed.
Five airstrikes in 2022 killed eight people and injured 28 others, according to the campaign launched by a coalition of survivors of Turkish and Iranian military operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Five other artillery shelling killed at least 10 people and injured 26, while heavy machine gun fire injured three others.
Turkey’s operations have targeted civilians and their property, the campaign said. Farmers, wild plant gatherers and shepherds have been targeted, as well as outdoor community gatherings.
Two children were killed and another injured in a community centre in Amedi, Duhok governorate. The report also refers to other incidents.
There are around 60 Turkish military bases on Iraqi soil, some of which extend as far as 35 km south of the border between the two countries. The bases are believed to be responsible for the displacement of thousands of civilians.
The End Cross-border Bombing Campaign, together with local and international NGOs, aims to raise awareness of the impact of cross-border bombing on civilians and to demand protection and reparations.
The report is based on interviews with survivors, witnesses and local authorities, as well as analysis of available media and other public sources.
