Turkey’s extensive airstrikes on Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria have disrupted the water supply to over a million residents in the region, a BBC investigation published Tuesday revealed.
Experts cited in the report suggested the attacks may constitute a violation of international law.
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Erdogan, and a Turkish army cannon firing on Kurdish positions in Syria
(Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images, Turkish Defense Ministry)
For years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led bombing campaigns and ground invasions across the border targeting Kurdish forces, which Ankara accuses of ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK, which seeks Kurdish autonomy in Turkey, is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., the European Union and the UK.
The Kurdish YPG militia, a key component of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that governs this area—informally known as “Syrian Kurdistan”—helped defeat ISIS during the last decade. However, Erdogan has consistently labeled the YPG as an extension of the PKK.
The recent escalation follows a PKK-claimed attack on a military facility in Ankara last month. In retaliation, Turkey launched a wide-scale bombing campaign against Kurdish targets in Syria, though the YPG denied any involvement in the attack.
According to the BBC investigation, accompanied by a full-length documentary, Turkey has conducted over 100 attacks on Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria between October 2019 and January 2024. These strikes targeted oil and gas facilities and power stations vital to civilians in the region.
According to the report, the attacks have worsened an already dire humanitarian situation, exacerbated by years of brutal civil war and four years of extreme drought linked to climate change. The crisis escalated further in October 2023, when Turkish strikes on power infrastructure cut electricity to the region’s primary water station, rendering it inoperable.
The BBC team visited the region twice and reported that residents in Hasakah province, home to around one million people, are now relying on water deliveries from sources 12 miles (20 kilometers) away. Hundreds of water tankers are dispatched daily, but supply shortages force authorities to prioritize hospitals, schools and orphanages, leaving many residents without access.
During one visit to Hasakah, BBC reporters observed residents queuing desperately for water and pleading with tanker drivers for supplies. "Water is more precious than gold here," said Ahmed al-Ahmed, a water tanker driver. "People need more water. All they want is for you to give them water."
The report described fighting breaking out among residents waiting in line, with one woman threatening to puncture a tanker’s tires if it didn’t deliver water to her. Yahya Ahmed, co-director of the city water board, described the situation as a "humanitarian catastrophe."
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Smoke rises after a Turkish strike in northeastern Syria, October
(Photo: Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP)
The autonomous Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria has accused Turkey of attempting to “destroy our people’s existence” in the region. Following a new wave of Turkish airstrikes last month, Kurdish officials claimed that Ankara targeted not only military positions but also civilian infrastructure, such as power stations.
"The main goal is to weaken the Kurdish autonomous administration and force the population to flee," said SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi. In an interview with AFP, Abdi also accused Turkey of exploiting the global focus on the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as tensions with Iran, to escalate attacks against the Kurds.
Abdi criticized the U.S.-led coalition, calling its response to the strikes "weak" and insufficient to halt the assaults. "Pressure must be applied on Turkey," he said. The Kurds remain a key partner in the U.S.-led coalition, which maintains around 900 American troops in Syria to combat jihadist terrorist groups.
In a statement to the BBC, Turkey claimed its airstrikes target the “sources of income and capabilities” of Kurdish separatist groups it regards as terrorists. The Turkish government denied hitting civilian infrastructure and blamed the worsening humanitarian crisis in northeastern Syria on climate change, as well as poor water management by local Kurdish authorities and neglected infrastructure.
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Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish forces in Syria
(Photo: Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP)
Turkey also insisted it "fully respects international law" and said that “Civilians or civilian infrastructure were not among our targets and have never been” a target. However, the BBC highlighted a 2022 remark by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who said that any “infrastructure, superstructure and energy facilities” used by the PKK or YPG in Syria and Iraq are "legitimate targets" for Ankara.
In February, the UN accused Turkey of potentially committing a war crime during its October 2023 strikes on Kurdish power infrastructure, which disrupted access to water for civilians. Legal experts familiar with the BBC investigation echoed these concerns. "[T]he indications that international law was violated here are so strong that they should be investigated by a prosecutorial authority," said Patrick Kroker, an international criminal law expert.
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