Baghdad and Ankara have agreed to a framework in which Turkish forces will hand over a key military base in Iraq.
“Within the framework of the progress achieved by Iraq through security steps, the Turkish forces will gradually hand over the [Bashiqa-Zelikan military base] to the Iraqi Federal Government in accordance with the agreed mechanism and timetable,” the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said on Wednesday.
This is an important step and comes amid many developments in Iraq. Baghdad is also trying to rein in Iranian-backed militias. It says this will happen by June of 2027.
In addition, the Yazidi YBS armed group has agreed to disarm. The Kurdish Peshmerga also announced a unification of forces this week.
As such, Iraq is moving to consolidate federal control over many areas. This move will fundamentally change the landscape of Iraq.
Many of these bases and issues are remnants of the ISIS war. When ISIS emerged in Iraq, the state lost control of many parts of the country. This was particularly true in Sunni areas and also in Nineveh Plains and Sinjar.
ISIS also carried out what is recognized as a genocide against Yazidis. As a result, the Iranian-backed militias were empowered to fight ISIS.
The Kurdish Peshmerga also stepped forward to take up hundreds of kilometers of the front line. Turkey expanded its role in Iraq.
Turkey claimed to be expanding its role because it was fighting the PKK
Turkey claimed to be expanding its role in the region because it was fighting the PKK. The Turkish Bashiqa-Zelikan military base was entirely unrelated to this aim. Its function was to support the Peshmerga in areas overlooking the town of Bashiqa. It was also working with some Sunni Arab forces.
Furthermore, Turkey was intent on monitoring what was happening in Sinjar. Ankara feared that PKK-linked groups in Syria and Sinjar might exploit the power vacuum. It was also wary of PKK-linked elements at Makhmour camp, a Kurdish displaced persons camp near Makhmour.
The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said: “The prime minister of the Republic of Iraq, Mr. Ali Falih Al-Zaidi, and the president of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met in New York on [Wednesday].”
“The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the security field, during negotiations in which the Iraqi and Turkish authorities discussed the strategic relations between the two countries from all aspects; and in this context, they agreed to extend the full authority of the Iraqi state in Sinjar, and to end the presence of prohibited foreign armed elements,” it said.
The resulting deal also impacts the Bashiqa-Zelikan military base. This camp has an important strategic location.
When I was covering the war on ISIS, I covered this front line near Bashiqa in 2015-2016. The Turkish forces provided military support against ISIS. The camp was modern and well maintained.
“The two sides also agreed to expand the volume of bilateral trade and investment, the immediate implementation of the signed agreements, and the acceleration of joint strategic projects, especially the Development Road project,” the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said.
The meeting will lead to more Iraqi authority in Sinjar. This is a result of YBS saying it will hand over its weapons and integrate with the Iraqi state.
Turkey will be pleased. Ankara is involved in a peace process with the PKK. It wants to see all the PKK-linked groups disarmed as part of this process.
This will be important for the Kurdistan Region
Turkey also has numerous bases in the mountains of the autonomous Kurdish Region. Bashiqa camp is not in the mountains. It is on land between Erbil and Dohuk, overlooking Nineveh Plains.
Ankara has numerous posts up in the mountains near the border in areas above the city of Dohuk. This is an area where Turkey has been fighting the PKK for several decades.
The handover will be important for the Kurdish Region. The Turkish forces provoked strong reactions from local actors. Iranian-backed militias opposed them and conditioned their disarmament on the Turkish forces leaving.
“Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed their mutual commitment to pull back Turkish troops from a base in northeast Mosul established in 2015, a joint statement shared by Zaidi’s office said Wednesday, citing the fulfillment of ‘security measures’ that include ending the presence of proscribed ‘foreign armed elements,’” Kurdistan Region-based news channel Rudaw Media Network reported.
The deal also comes as US forces that were part of the anti-ISIS coalition leave Iraq. As such, there are many changes afoot, and Iraq is reasserting its authority.