By AZE.US
Turkey and Iraq have agreed on a phased transfer of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base near Mosul to Iraqi control, changing the structure of Ankara’s decade-long military presence in northern Iraq.
The agreement followed talks in New York between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The two governments said the handover would proceed under an agreed mechanism and timetable, taking into account security measures adopted by Baghdad.
An Iraqi military source told Reuters that the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Bashiqa and another smaller facility near Mosul could be completed by the end of the year. Ankara has not publicly confirmed that deadline.
Sinjar and Regional Security
Turkey and Iraq also agreed to restore full Iraqi state control over the Sinjar area and end the presence of unauthorized foreign armed groups there. The issue includes forces linked to Kurdish organizations, while Turkey continues to press for the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
Turkish forces have been stationed near Mosul since 2015. Ankara said the deployment was intended to train and protect local forces fighting Islamic State, while Baghdad repeatedly demanded the contingent’s withdrawal.
The two leaders also called for faster work on joint strategic projects, including the Development Road transport corridor planned to connect the Persian Gulf with Europe through Iraq and Turkey.
Based on Vesti Baku’s Russian-language report.
AZE.US