Turkey agrees to hand over Bashiqa military camp to Iraq

Iraq and Turkey have reached an agreement to gradually transfer control of the Bashiqa-Zelikan military camp in northern Iraq to Iraqi authorities, according to a joint statement following a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The agreement also aims to strengthen security cooperation between the two nations. Specifically, it addresses the removal of outlawed foreign armed elements, particularly Kurdish militants, from the mountainous Sinjar area in northern Iraq. The statement specifies that Turkey will adhere to an agreed-upon mechanism and timeline for the withdrawal of its troops, contingent upon security measures implemented by Iraq.

Turkey initiated its deployment to the Bashiqa-Zelikan base near Mosul in 2015, citing the need to train and protect Iraqi forces as well as local Sunni Arab, Turkmen, and Kurdish fighters combating ISIS, which had seized control of Mosul in 2014. This move led to a disagreement with Iraq, which demanded the eventual withdrawal of Turkish troops. Currently, Turkey maintains several bases in the region, asserting their necessity for national security.

During the discussion, Prime Minister Al Zaidi and President Erdogan also addressed bilateral relations and trade between their countries, emphasizing the urgent need to implement existing agreements and accelerate strategic projects. Among these critical projects is the Development Road project, as highlighted in the joint statement.