Türkiye and Iraq agree a gradual Bashiqa base handover as Baghdad strengthens control over Sinjar and both neighbours deepen security, trade and infrastructure cooperation…reports Arab Daily News Desk
Türkiye and Iraq have agreed on a gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad, in a move that could ease a longstanding dispute over Turkish troops while deepening security and economic cooperation between the neighbours.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi in New York on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Under the joint understanding, Turkish forces will gradually transfer the Bashiqa-Zilkan camp to the Iraqi federal government as Iraq implements agreed security measures. The two governments have not announced a specific date for the handover.
The agreement links the transfer to efforts to restore full Iraqi state authority in the Sinjar area of Nineveh province and end the presence of what the joint statement described as “illegal foreign armed elements”.
The statement did not name the groups involved. The wording is widely understood to relate to armed groups operating in Sinjar, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has maintained links and a presence in the area. Türkiye regards the PKK as a terrorist organisation, as do the United States and European Union.
The Bashiqa base has been a sensitive issue between Ankara and Baghdad for almost a decade. Türkiye began operating a training camp in the Bashiqa area in 2015 as part of efforts to train Iraqi forces and local fighters preparing for the campaign against Islamic State, which had captured Mosul in 2014.
The deployment became a diplomatic dispute after Türkiye sent additional troops to the area in December 2015. Baghdad objected to the presence, saying Turkish forces had entered Iraqi territory without the approval of the central government and demanded their withdrawal. Ankara said the troops were there to protect military trainers and support the fight against Islamic State.
The latest agreement reflects a broader shift in relations between Ankara and Baghdad. The two countries have increasingly sought closer coordination on security, trade, energy and infrastructure, despite continuing disagreements over Turkish military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq.
Security cooperation was also formalised in a 2024 memorandum of understanding covering military, security and counter-terrorism cooperation. That agreement envisaged a Joint Security Coordination Centre in Baghdad and a Joint Training and Cooperation Centre in Bashiqa.
The Bashiqa arrangement also comes as Baghdad seeks to strengthen federal authority in areas that have remained contested since the defeat of Islamic State.
Sinjar, close to Iraq’s border with Syria, has been particularly sensitive because of its complex security landscape and the presence of several armed groups. The area is also home to the Yazidi community, which suffered mass killings, displacement and other abuses during Islamic State’s 2014 assault.
Under Wednesday’s understanding, progress on security measures in Sinjar is linked to the gradual Turkish handover of Bashiqa-Zilkan. The Turkish government said the transfer would take place according to an agreed mechanism and timetable once the required security steps had been implemented.
The two leaders also agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment and accelerate the implementation of previously signed agreements.
Particular emphasis was placed on the Development Road project, Iraq’s planned transport corridor linking its southern ports with Türkiye and international markets. The project envisages a major rail and road network across Iraq towards the Turkish border and is intended to create a new trade route between the Gulf, Türkiye and Europe.
Iraq and Türkiye moved closer to implementation earlier this month after completing a draft framework covering legal, technical and financial arrangements for the project. The planned corridor has become a central part of the countries’ wider economic relationship.
The Bashiqa agreement therefore combines two longstanding priorities for Baghdad and Ankara: greater Iraqi control over northern security affairs and deeper economic integration.
For Iraq, the gradual transfer represents a step towards consolidating federal authority over territory where foreign and non-state armed forces have operated. For Türkiye, the arrangement is linked to wider security cooperation and its efforts to address PKK-linked activity in northern Iraq.
The agreement does not, however, amount to an immediate Turkish withdrawal from northern Iraq. Türkiye maintains other military positions in the region, and the Bashiqa handover remains dependent on security measures and an agreed timetable.
