Türkiye, Iraq Agree on Gradual Handover of Bashiqa Military Base
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: Türkiye and Iraq have agreed that Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi federal government, marking a significant step in efforts to resolve a longstanding security issue between Ankara and Baghdad.
The agreement was announced following talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
According to an official statement released by Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications, the two governments agreed that Turkish forces would gradually transfer the base under a mutually agreed mechanism and timetable. A specific date for completing the handover was not publicly announced.
The Bashiqa-Zilkan facility is located in northern Iraq near Mosul. Türkiye established a military presence at Bashiqa in 2015, deploying troops there as part of its security operations and training activities. The deployment became a source of tension with Baghdad, which had previously called for Turkish forces to leave Iraqi territory.
The latest agreement links the base transfer to broader security arrangements in northern Iraq.
Erdoğan and al-Zaidi agreed to deepen bilateral security cooperation and work towards the full restoration of Iraqi state authority in Sinjar, according to the joint statement. They also agreed to end the presence of what the statement called “outlawed foreign armed elements” in the area.
The language is widely understood as referring principally to Kurdish militant groups operating in northern Iraq. Reuters reported that the agreement concerns militants in the Sinjar region, where elements linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have maintained a presence.
Türkiye considers the PKK a terrorist organisation and has conducted repeated military operations against the group in northern Iraq. Ankara has also been pursuing a broader process aimed at disarming the PKK and ending its decades-long conflict with the Turkish state.
Security Cooperation Expands
The decision does not represent an immediate Turkish military withdrawal from the facility. Instead, the official language specifies a gradual handover, with the process proceeding according to an agreed mechanism and timetable and in light of progress made by Iraq through its security measures.
Express Urdu similarly reported that Türkiye would gradually withdraw its forces and transfer control of the facility to Iraq as part of efforts to improve security cooperation and reduce regional tensions.
The two governments also agreed to strengthen cooperation on other security issues and border protection.
Trade and Development Road Also Discussed
Erdoğan and al-Zaidi used their New York meeting to discuss economic relations alongside security.
The two sides agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, accelerate implementation of previously signed agreements and advance joint strategic initiatives, particularly the Development Road Project.
The Development Road is intended to strengthen transport and commercial links connecting Iraq with Türkiye and international markets, giving the two governments a major economic incentive to stabilise their broader relationship.
The Bashiqa issue has been one of the more sensitive disputes between Ankara and Baghdad. The decision to place the facility gradually under Iraqi federal control therefore removes — if fully implemented — a significant point of friction while linking the transition to wider security cooperation in Sinjar.
The agreement has been independently corroborated by Reuters and is also contained in the official statement published by Türkiye’s presidency, providing unusually strong confirmation of the core details.
The next key issue will be implementation. Neither government has publicly disclosed the precise timetable for the handover or detailed how quickly Turkish personnel will leave the facility.
