Türkiye and Iraq announced steps toward gradually transferring the Bashiqa-Zilkan military camp to Iraq’s federal government. The joint statement also activated a security coordination committee to monitor progress in Sinjar. It follows the leaders’ September understanding linking the camp’s transfer to efforts to establish Iraqi state authority in the area.
Türkiye and Iraq said on Sunday that Ankara would begin the steps required for a gradual transfer of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military camp to Iraq’s federal government. The camp lies in northern Iraq. Their joint statement moves forward an understanding reached by the two countries’ leaders in September. It announces preparations for a phased handover, without declaring a completed withdrawal.[1], [2]
The two governments agreed to activate their Joint Security Coordination Committee to verify progress in Sinjar, an area in northern Iraq. The Iraqi account described the aim as establishing state authority and ending the presence of armed groups. The Turkish wording referred specifically to ending the presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Those formulations set out the governments’ objectives for the monitoring process.[1]
The September understanding linked transfer of the camp to reorganising and integrating the Sinjar Resistance Units, a local Yazidi armed group with PKK ties, into Iraqi security institutions. Türkiye deployed forces at Bashiqa in 2015 for training against Islamic State. Baghdad has challenged the Turkish military presence as a sovereignty issue. Sunday’s statement provided no detailed calendar of transfer dates.[1]
