Asia · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Turkey Agrees To Gradual Handover Of Bashiqa-Zilkan Base To Iraq
Turkey will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to the Iraqi government. Both sides committed to restoring Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and removing banned armed elements.
12 outlets told this the same way.
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8 of 9 outlets skipped it: phased withdrawal expected to be completed by end of this year.
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Bashiqa handover framework
Turkey and Iraq agreed to a gradual transfer of Ankara’s military base in Bashiqa to Baghdad, with the Iraqi prime minister’s office saying the sides reached an agreement on fully establishing state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of outlawed foreign armed elements. Turkey’s presidency and Iraq’s government said in a joint statement that “Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to the Federal Government of Iraq in accordance with the agreed mechanism and timetable,” and the announcement followed a meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ali al-Zaidi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The agreement also tied the handover to security steps, with the Turkish presidency citing “progress achieved by these security measures implemented by Iraq” as the basis for the gradual transfer.
The sources described Bashiqa as a longstanding flashpoint, with Turkey first establishing the base in Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, in December 2015 through an agreement with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government to train local forces fighting the ISIL (ISIS) group. The sources also said the Sinjar region had been a focal point for Turkish military operations targeting fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and they linked the accord to efforts to consolidate federal authorities in the border zone.
Leaders meet in New York
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ali al-Zaidi met in New York on Wednesday, and the Turkish presidency announced the Bashiqa-Zilkan handover after the meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Tom Barrack framed the deal on X as serving “Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security,” while the joint statement said the transfer would follow an agreed mechanism and timetable. The joint statement also said the two sides agreed to “fully restore state authority in Sinjar and eliminate the presence of illegal foreign armed elements,” and it described the move as aimed at strengthening Iraqi state authority and easing tension between the neighbours.
Al-Monitor described the same Wednesday accord as a gradual handover of the Bashiqa military base to Iraq, and it said the statement offered no further details about the schedule or the mechanism. Arab News added that an Iraqi military commander familiar with the talks expected the phased withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Bashiqa camp and another small base near Mosul to be completed by the end of this year.
Sinjar, PKK, and next steps
The accord linked the Bashiqa handover to Sinjar security, with the Iraqi prime minister’s office saying the agreement addressed “fully establishing state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of outlawed foreign armed elements.” Daily Sabah said the two leaders agreed to “fully restoring Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of banned foreign armed groups in the area,” and it said Turkish forces would hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan base as progress is made in implementing Iraq’s security measures. The sources also placed the deal within a broader peace process, with France 24 saying the PKK announced its dissolution in May 2025 and held a symbolic disarmament ceremony in July 2025 in northern Iraq, according to Turkish authorities.
The Jerusalem Post said the agreement would lead to more Iraqi authority in Sinjar and quoted a framework in which the two sides agreed to extend the full authority of the Iraqi state in Sinjar and end the presence of prohibited foreign armed elements. The Jerusalem Post also said Iraq aimed to rein in Iranian-backed militias and stated that it “says this will happen by June of 2027,” while it described the handover as part of Iraq consolidating federal control over areas affected by the ISIS war.