Turkey and Iraq Agree on Bashiqa Handover

Turkiye and Iraq have agreed to a gradual transfer of Turkiye’s military base in Bashiqa, northern Iraq, to the Iraqi government. The agreement was announced by the Iraqi prime minister’s office after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The two governments also agreed to strengthen Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and end the presence of foreign armed groups there, an apparent reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Their statement additionally committed them to expanding trade and investment, implementing existing agreements, and accelerating strategic projects, particularly the Development Road project. The planned handover addresses a longstanding source of tension. Turkiye established its Bashiqa base, northeast of Mosul, in December 2015 under an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government. The base was intended to train local forces fighting ISIL (ISIS). Baghdad objected to the deployment of as many as 600 Turkish soldiers, considering their presence a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Sinjar has also been a focus of Turkish military operations against the PKK. Cross-border operations there had eased after a 2025 peace process between Ankara and the PKK, which reportedly involved PKK fighters withdrawing from Turkiye with their weapons. The article presents Wednesday’s accord as the culmination of months of Iraqi efforts to consolidate federal authority in northern areas and as part of closer security and economic coordination with Turkiye along their shared border.

Turkey and Iraq have agreed that Turkish forces will gradually transfer control of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi federal government. The announcement came in a joint statement after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The statement said the handover would follow an agreed mechanism and timetable, but did not specify when it would be completed. The two governments described the move as linked to progress in Iraqi security measures and aimed at strengthening state authority while addressing a longstanding source of friction between the neighbours. Turkey established the base in December 2015 with the agreement of the autonomous Kurdistan region. Turkish media reported that Ankara deployed as many as 600 soldiers there. Baghdad objected to the presence, accusing Turkey of violating Iraqi sovereignty. The US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, welcomed the agreement, saying it served both Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security. The governments also agreed to restore federal authority in Sinjar and remove illegal foreign armed groups. Turkey has previously carried out operations there against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The article places the agreement in the context of the PKK’s announced dissolution in May 2025 and a symbolic disarmament ceremony held in northern Iraq two months later. Turkish authorities said some fighters remained in the area. Baghdad said in early September that Sinjar would come under full federal authority after an agreement with Yazidi armed groups to surrender their weapons to the state. Overall, the article reports a diplomatic and security arrangement intended to reduce tensions and extend Baghdad’s control, while noting that key implementation details remain unspecified.

Turkey plans to transfer control of its military base in Bashiqa, northern Iraq, to the Iraqi federal government, according to a joint statement issued by the Turkish and Iraqi governments. The facility, also referred to in the statement as the Bashiqa-Zilkan base, was established by Ankara in 2015. Turkey deployed as many as 600 soldiers there, a presence that sparked tensions with Baghdad. The statement says the handover will take place gradually and will follow an agreed mechanism and timetable. It links the decision to progress in security measures implemented by Iraq, but does not provide further details about those measures or explain what steps remain before the transfer can be completed. No specific date or duration for the handover was announced. The announcement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The article reports the planned transfer and its diplomatic context, but provides no additional comment from either leader, details about the base’s future use, or information about the number of Turkish troops currently stationed there. As a result, the timing and practical arrangements remain unspecified. The report is attributed to Agence France-Presse and describes the move as a decision announced jointly by the neighboring countries.