Turkiye agrees to gradual handover of Bashiqa base to Iraq

Iraq and Turkiye have agreed to a gradual transfer of Turkey's military installation at Bashiqa to Iraqi control, according to a statement from the Iraqi prime minister's office. The announcement followed a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The statement said the two leaders committed to deeper security cooperation and to fully restoring state authority in Sinjar, aiming to end the presence of what it described as outlawed foreign armed elements — an apparent reference to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The talks also covered economic matters: both sides agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, implement existing agreements promptly, and accelerate joint strategic projects including the Development Road project. The Bashiqa base has been a persistent source of tension between Baghdad and Ankara. Turkey established the facility in December 2015 under an arrangement with the Kurdistan Regional Government to train local forces fighting ISIL; the deployment of as many as 600 Turkish troops drew criticism from Iraq’s federal government, which viewed it as a breach of sovereignty. The accord builds on a broader reduction in cross-border hostilities after a 2025 peace process between Ankara and the PKK, which eased Turkish operations in the Sinjar area and opened space for federal authorities to extend control over northern flashpoints. Baghdad has been pursuing consolidation of state authority in those areas for several months, and the new agreement with Ankara ties that security effort to enhanced trade and infrastructure cooperation along their shared frontier.