Turkey, Iraq Agree on Gradual Withdrawal from Northern Military Base

Turkey has agreed to gradually withdraw its forces from the Bashiqa-Zelikan military base in northern Iraq and transfer control to the Iraqi government, according to a joint statement released following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

The agreement, reached on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, outlines a phased handover in accordance with an established timeline and mechanism. This move comes as Iraq pledged to remove armed groups that Turkey considers security threats from the Sinjar region in northwestern Iraq.

The Bashiqa base, established by Turkey in 2015 to support operations against the Islamic State group, has been a point of contention between the two nations. Turkey maintains other bases in northern Iraq for operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but Bashiqa is its furthest outpost from its own border.

Ankara has long pressed Baghdad to curb the presence of groups affiliated with the PKK in Sinjar. Earlier this month, the Iraqi government announced that the Sinjar Resistance Units, a Yazidi militia linked to the PKK, had agreed to disarm, with eligible fighters to be integrated into Iraqi security forces. The group played a role in the fight against IS but was viewed by Turkey as a security concern due to its PKK ties.

The agreement also includes a commitment from both nations to "fully extend the authority of the Iraqi state in Sinjar and to end the presence of banned foreign armed elements."

This development coincides with the ongoing withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, with remaining forces in the north expected to depart by September 30. Turkey is also currently engaged in peace efforts with the PKK, aiming to resolve a decades-long conflict.