Turkey and Iraq have agreed to a gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zelikan military base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi federal government. Announced on September 23, 2026, following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in New York, the deal resolves a sovereignty dispute dating back to Turkey's 2015 deployment of up to 600 troops. The agreement also outlines plans to restore state authority in Sinjar and eliminate outlawed armed groups.
Bashiqa Base Handover
- ▪An Iraqi military commander stated that the phased withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Bashiqa camp and another small base near Mosul, agreed by Turkey and Iraq, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026
- ▪Turkey and Iraq agreed on September 23, 2026, to gradually hand over control of the Bashiqa-Zelikan military base near Mosul in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government
Bilateral Security Cooperation
- ▪Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met on September 23, 2026, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to deepen security cooperation
- ▪Turkey and Iraq agreed in a joint statement on September 23, 2026, to end the presence of outlawed foreign armed elements, referring to Kurdish militants, in northern Iraq
Authority over Sinjar Region
- ▪Turkey and Iraq reached an agreement on September 23, 2026, to fully establish state authority in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq
- ▪Baghdad announced in early September 2026 that Sinjar would be placed under the full authority of the federal government following an agreement with Yazidi armed groups to hand over weapons
PKK Disarmament and Peace Process
- ▪Turkey continues its peace process aimed at disarming militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to end a decades-old conflict
- ▪The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced its dissolution in May 2025 and held a disarmament ceremony in July 2025 in northern Iraq as part of an ongoing peace process with Ankara
Turkish military bases
- ▪In December 2015, Turkey deployed up to 600 soldiers at Bashiqa base near Mosul to train forces fighting the Islamic State, sparking a sovereignty dispute with Baghdad despite agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan
- ▪Turkey still maintains several military bases in the region of northern Iraq, which it says are there to protect its national security
Debatable claims
- ▪Turkey should withdraw all its military forces from northern Iraq
- ▪Iraq should establish full federal authority over the Sinjar region
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