Bashiqa base handover will proceed gradually under an agreement between Turkiye and Iraq, the Iraqi prime minister’s office announced following talks in New York.
The understanding was reached during a Wednesday meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the statement.
Bashiqa base handover and security coordination
The Iraqi prime minister’s office said the two leaders agreed to fully reassert state authority in Sinjar and to end the presence of outlawed foreign armed elements there, an apparent reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has maintained a foothold in the mountainous district of northern Iraq.
They also committed to expand bilateral trade and investment, to move ahead with existing agreements, and to accelerate joint strategic initiatives, with particular emphasis on the Development Road project, the statement added.
The decision to transfer the facility addresses a long-running source of tension between the neighbors. Turkiye established the Bashiqa site northeast of Mosul in December 2015 through an arrangement with the Kurdistan Regional Government to train local forces fighting ISIL. The presence of up to 600 Turkish troops drew objections from Baghdad, which regarded it as a breach of Iraqi sovereignty.
Sinjar has been a focal point of Turkish cross-border operations targeting PKK fighters. Such operations eased after a landmark peace process between Ankara and the PKK in 2025, creating space for federal authorities to strengthen control in the border area.
Officials said Wednesday’s accord crowns months of efforts by Baghdad to consolidate state authority over northern flashpoints while aligning with Ankara on trade corridors and security cooperation along their shared frontier.