Turkey agrees to withdraw troops from strategic Bashiqa-Zilkan base in Iraq

Turkey has reached an agreement with the Iraqi government to progressively transfer control of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad. The deal follows mutual acknowledgment of Iraq's progress in strengthening security and reasserting state authority in the area.

The agreement was announced in a joint statement following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in New York, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The statement said Turkey would hand over the camp in stages according to an agreed timetable, though no specific withdrawal date has yet been set.

US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, welcomed the deal, writing on X that it serves both Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security interests.

Sinjar commitments

Turkey and Iraq also agreed to fully establish Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and end the presence of so-called banned foreign armed elements in the region, alongside deepening bilateral security cooperation. Turkey has long pressed Baghdad to curb PKK-linked groups operating in Sinjar. Earlier this month, Iraq announced that the Sinjar Resistance Units, a Yazidi armed group affiliated with the PKK, had agreed to disarm.

Why the base matters

Bashiqa-Zilkan is one of several Turkish military facilities in northern Iraq that have long strained relations between the two countries. Turkey established a presence there in 2015 to support the fight against ISIL. It is the Turkish base furthest from the border, and Iraq has previously called for its withdrawal. The agreement comes as Turkey continues efforts to end its long conflict with the PKK, which announced its dissolution last year.

Separately, the United States is also scaling back its military presence in Iraq, with hundreds of troops in the north expected to leave by 30 September.