Turkey and Iraq agreed to phase the handover of the Bashiqa-Zelikan base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government under an agreed timeline and Iraqi security measures. They agreed to deepen security cooperation and end foreign armed groups’ presence in Sinjar.
An Iraqi military commander familiar with the talks said Turkish troop withdrawals from Bashiqa and another small base near Mosul were expected to be completed by year-end. Turkey did not immediately comment on that reported timetable.
The joint statement called for full state authority in Sinjar and an end to the presence of “outlawed foreign armed elements.” The report identifies these as Kurdish militants, some based in the area. Turkey hopes its ongoing peace process will disarm militants from the outlawed PKK and end a decades-old conflict.
