Turkey to begin steps to facilitate gradual base handover to Iraq
Turkey and Iraq also decided to activate a joint committee to monitor progress toward eliminating the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s presence in Sinjar.
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Turkey committed to begin steps toward the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to Iraq’s federal government in a joint statement published 8 November. The base in northern Iraq has been a source of friction between the countries since Turkish troops deployed there in 2015.
Turkey and Iraq also decided to activate their previously agreed Joint Security Coordination Committee. It is intended to verify and monitor progress toward eliminating the presence in Sinjar of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a longtime adversary of Turkey. The countries reaffirmed their determination to continue Iraqi efforts to establish state authority there.
The Sinjar Resistance Units, a Yazidi militia formed in Sinjar, worked with the PKK’s People’s Defence Forces. In September 2026, the units agreed to disarm and integrate into Iraqi security forces.
A disputed Turkish presence
Turkish soldiers deployed on a training mission in the Mosul District with Iraqi Kurdistan’s permission but without Baghdad’s authorization. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi agreed to the base transfer on 23 September 2026, citing progress in Iraqi security measures.
An Iraqi armed forces spokesperson said Iraq expected the withdrawal from Bashiqa-Zilkan to begin in November 2026 and the Turkish presence there to end by the close of 2026. That is Iraq’s expectation; the joint statement did not set out that timetable.
Analysis
Security after a handover
Middle East analyst Francesco Schiavi told Breaking Defense that a gradual handover would be a step toward restoring Iraqi sovereignty and improving security relations, while cautioning against overstating its immediate military effects. He said Iraqi forces would need to maintain a presence and prevent armed groups from returning or exploiting security gaps.
Defense analyst Ali Bakir said the transfer should be accompanied by stronger Iraqi efforts to establish state authority, secure borders and ensure armed groups operate within Iraqi law. RANE Network analyst Ryan Bohl said a departure from Bashiqa-Zilkan would not necessarily mean all Turkish forces would leave northern Iraq, though he considered a wider withdrawal an increasingly distinct possibility.
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