Turkey to hand over Bashiqa-Zilkan base as it deepens security ties with Iraq

Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the Bashiqa-Zilkan base, established in 2015 to fight Daesh, will be gradually transferred to the Iraqi central government in Baghdad. The handover is part of a broader pact signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, which also calls for restoring full state authority in Sinjar and deepening security cooperation. Ankara emphasized that it will continue to aid Iraq’s armed forces with training, counter-terrorism expertise, and defence-industry collaboration.

Security expert Ayhan Sarı linked the withdrawal to the diminishing PKK threat in Sinjar and Iraq’s renewed capacity to manage its own security after the U.S. pullout. Both sides view the steps as contributing to a “terror-free” region and normalising relations between the neighbours.