Iraq and Turkey agree to remove banned armed groups from Sinjar

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met in New York this week, discussing the transfer of control of a Turkish military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad. According to a joint statement released by the Turkish presidency, the Federal Government of Iraq will gradually assume responsibility for the Bashiqa-Zilkan base, in accordance with an agreed mechanism and timetable.

The ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, praised the agreement, stating that the handover would benefit both Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security. The base, established in December 2015, was operated by up to 600 Turkish soldiers, leading to tensions with Baghdad, which claimed Ankara had infringed upon its sovereignty.

In addition to the base handover, Turkey and Iraq agreed to restore full state authority in Sinjar and remove illegal foreign armed elements from the region. Turkey had previously conducted military operations against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters in the Sinjar area, and the PKK announced its dissolution in May 2025, holding a disarmament ceremony in July 2025.

Baghdad recently announced that Sinjar would be under the full control of the federal government and its institutions, following an agreement with Yazidi armed groups to surrender their weapons to the state.