Turkey to Transfer Bashiqa Military Base to Iraq

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Turkey‘s Ministry of Defense has announced its decision to gradually transfer the Bashiqa-Zalikan military base to Iraqi officials based on an agreed-upon mechanism. This handover is occurring in light of the Iraqi government’s progress in implementing security measures in Sinjar.

The spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces had previously stated, following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, that Turkish forces would also be leaving the Bashiqa region in the next phase. This indicates a coordinated effort to recalibrate foreign military presence.

A security source in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq revealed that an agreement has been reached between Turkish and Iraqi parties for the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the Bashiqa and Zalikan bases, with their transfer to the Iraqi army slated for the end of the current year. This agreement signifies a significant shift in regional security arrangements.

These developments come after years of Turkish military presence in northern Iraq. The Bashiqa base was originally established in 2015 with the stated purpose of training Iraqi forces to combat ISIS.