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// DOSSIER — turkey-iraq-military-base-handover
Turkey Agrees to Phased Handover of Northern Iraq Military Base to Baghdad
REL_TIME: 26 Sep 2026 11:12Z · LANG: EN
During a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi reached an agreement for Turkish forces to gradually transfer the strategic Bashiqa-Zelikan military base near Mosul to the Iraqi federal government. In exchange, Iraq committed to fully establishing state authority in the northwestern Sinjar region and ending the presence of outlawed foreign armed groups, particularly the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its affiliates. The bilateral pact also covers the expansion of trade, strategic connectivity initiatives such as the Development Road Project, and coincides with broader regional shifts, including the imminent withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
// Background
Turkey deployed troops to the Bashiqa base northeast of Mosul in 2015 to train Iraqi, Sunni Arab, Turkmen, and Kurdish forces confronting the Islamic State, sparking long-standing friction with Baghdad over unauthorized foreign military presence. Although Turkey operates several forward outposts in northern Iraq targeting the PKK, Bashiqa represents its deepest permanent presence into Iraqi territory. A prior 2020 agreement between Baghdad and Erbil to restore administration in Sinjar remained incomplete. The recent breakthrough occurs alongside an ongoing Turkish-PKK peace initiative and the scheduled September 30, 2026 deadline concluding the decades-long U.S. military troop presence in Iraq.
// Key Developments
- Turkey will gradually transfer control of the Bashiqa-Zelikan military camp near Mosul to the Iraqi federal government under an agreed mechanism.
- Iraq agreed to fully restore federal state authority in Sinjar and eliminate the presence of banned foreign armed elements, referencing PKK-linked groups.
- An Iraqi military commander indicated the phased withdrawal of Turkish forces from Bashiqa and an adjacent small outpost is targeted for completion by the end of 2026.
- The agreement aligns with demands previously voiced by Iraqi armed factions, such as Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, as conditions for surrendering weapons.
- Both nations pledged to accelerate trade ties and advance joint strategic projects, notably the Development Road Project.
// Timeline
-
Islamic State captures Mosul and Sinjar; Turkey subsequently establishes a military deployment at Bashiqa to train local anti-IS forces.
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Baghdad and Erbil reach an agreement to expel armed militants and normalize state authority in Sinjar, which was never fully realized.
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Iraq announces the Sinjar Resistance Units agreed to disarm and integrate eligible fighters into the Iraqi national security forces.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the UN General Assembly in New York, concluding the base transfer and security agreement.
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Target deadline for the departure of the remaining hundreds of U.S. troops from northern Iraq.
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Target window reported by an Iraqi military commander for the full completion of the Turkish troop withdrawal from the Bashiqa region.
// Perspectives
[Turkey]
Supports gradual relinquishment of the Bashiqa base conditional on Iraq executing verified security measures that eliminate PKK militants and ensure Turkish border and national security.
[Iraq]
Aims to restore sovereign authority over foreign-occupied domestic bases like Bashiqa while simultaneously taking full administrative and security control of Sinjar.
[United States]
Welcomed the pact as a quiet diplomatic success that reconciles Iraqi sovereign integrity with legitimate Turkish security requirements.
[Iraqi Armed Factions (Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Kataib Hezbollah)]
Regard the departure of Turkish forces from Iraqi territory as an essential prerequisite for disarming their own groups.
// Quotes
“Within this framework, they reached an agreement on fully establishing state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of outlawed foreign armed elements.”
“In accordance with the agreed-upon mechanism and timeline and security measures taken by Iraq, Turkish forces would gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zelikan base... to the Iraqi government.”
“History rarely announces its turning points; it stitches them quietly. Ankara returning Zilkan to Baghdad by agreed mechanism and timeline is one such thread: Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security, both served.”
