Turkey and Iraq have reached a formal agreement to transfer control of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government. The phased handover, announced after a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, marks a significant shift in Ankara's military footprint in the region.
The joint statement said the two countries had agreed on a staged withdrawal, with no fixed date yet announced. The move follows what both sides describe as tangible progress by Baghdad in reasserting state authority in the area, particularly in Sinjar, and in addressing Turkish security concerns over the presence of armed groups linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Why the base matters
Bashiqa-Zilkan, located east of Mosul, has been a point of friction between Ankara and Baghdad since Turkish troops first deployed there in 2015 to support operations against the Islamic State group. It is the furthest Turkish military installation from the border, and its continued presence has been a recurring irritant in bilateral relations.
Turkey maintains several other bases in northern Iraq, where it has conducted cross-border operations against PKK militants for decades. Ankara has long argued that these deployments are necessary for its national security, while Baghdad has repeatedly called for their removal. The new agreement signals a willingness on both sides to move beyond that impasse.
Under the terms of the deal, Turkey and Iraq have also committed to fully establishing Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and to ending the presence of what the joint statement called "banned foreign armed elements" in the region. This is a direct reference to the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a Yazidi militia with ties to the PKK, which has been active in the area since the fight against ISIL.
Earlier this month, the Iraqi government announced that the YBS had agreed to disarm, with eligible fighters to be integrated into Iraq's security forces. Turkey has welcomed that development, though it remains cautious about the group's long-term intentions.
The agreement comes amid a broader, fragile peace process between Ankara and the PKK. Last year, the PKK declared it would dissolve itself and cease armed actions against Turkey, a move that has opened the door to diplomatic engagement. The Bashiqa-Zilkan handover is seen as part of that wider effort to normalise relations and reduce the military footprint in northern Iraq.
US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, welcomed the deal in a post on X, writing: "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. What looks like chaos from afar is a region weaving its own order."
The United States is also winding down its own military presence in Iraq. US officials have said that hundreds of American troops stationed in the north are expected to leave by 30 September, part of a broader drawdown that has been in the works for months.
For Iraq, the agreement is a step toward reclaiming full sovereignty over its territory. For Turkey, it is a calculated move to secure its southern border while demonstrating a willingness to engage diplomatically. The coming months will show whether the handover proceeds smoothly and whether the broader peace process holds.
