{
  "id": 9429039,
  "title": "Turkiye to hand over military base to Iraq",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/turkiye-to-hand-over-military-base-to-iraq",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T22:27:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/09/1539709/turkiye-hand-over-military-base-iraq"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Turkiye has agreed to hand over control of its military base in Bashiqa, northern Iraq, to the Iraqi federal government, following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The joint statement, issued by the Turkish presidency, indicates that the handover process will follow an agreed mechanism and timeline, though no specific date was specified. The US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, welcomed the agreement, highlighting how it serves both Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security interests. The base, established by Turkey in December 2015 with up to 600 soldiers, had previously sparked tensions with Iraq, which accused Turkey of violating its sovereignty. In addition to the base handover, Turkey and Iraq have also agreed to restore state authority in Sinjar and eliminate the presence of illegal foreign armed elements.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Iraq and Turkey agree to remove banned armed groups from Sinjar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/iraq-and-turkey-agree-to-remove-banned-armed-groups-from-sinjar",
        "published": "2026-09-23T18:59:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Turkey agrees to hand over contentious Bashiqa base to Iraq",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/turkey-agrees-to-hand-over-contentious-bashiqa-base-to-iraq",
        "published": "2026-09-23T19:04:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Turkey’s Bashiqa base handover marks a new chapter for post-ISIS Iraq - analysis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/turkeys-bashiqa-base-handover-marks-a-new-chapter-for-post-isis-iraq",
        "published": "2026-09-23T21:54:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}