Turkey to hand over military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad
Summary
Turkey announced it will gradually hand over control of its Bashiqa military base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi federal government. This decision aims to strengthen Iraq’s state authority and reduce tensions between Turkey and Iraq.Key Facts
- Turkey and Iraq made a joint statement about handing over the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to Baghdad.
- The agreement came after a meeting between President Erdogan of Turkey and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the UN General Assembly.
- The timetable for the handover was not specified.
- The base was set up by Turkey in 2015 with the approval of the Kurdish autonomous region.
- Turkey has about 600 soldiers at the base, according to the Turkish press.
- Baghdad had accused Turkey of violating its sovereignty by keeping troops there.
- Both countries agreed to restore government control in Sinjar and remove illegal foreign armed groups.
- The Kurdish PKK militant group, once targeted by Turkey, announced its dissolution in 2025.
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