Iraq Demands Turkish Withdrawal from Bashiqa Camp
At a Glance
- Channel8 exclusive reporting confirms that Turkey has officially agreed to evacuate the Bashiqa-Zilekan military base in the Nineveh Plain by the end of the year.
- An elite Iraqi security delegation led by National Security Advisor Qassim al-Aboudi delivered Baghdad's formal withdrawal demand to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- The installation will be formally handed over to the federal government and the Iraqi army as part of broader sovereignty enforcement efforts.
- President Erdogan voiced support for Baghdad's state authority and collaborative economic projects like the Development Road.
Bilateral security arrangements between Baghdad and Ankara have achieved a decisive breakthrough. Confirming earlier insights received by Channel8, just two days after Channel8 became the first media outlet to reveal that Turkish forces are withdrawing from Iraqi territory, security relations between Baghdad and Ankara have entered a decisive phase; under the agreement, Turkey has officially consented to evacuate the Bashiqa-Zilekan camp in the Nineveh Plain and hand it over to the Iraqi army.
Key Diplomatic Developments and Handover Terms
- Official Demands: The high-level Iraqi security mission presented Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s formal directive to Turkish leadership, emphasizing the imperative of restoring full sovereign control over the Nineveh Plain.
- Timeline and Handover: Under the emerging bilateral accord, Turkish military forces stationed at Bashiq-Zilekan will completely vacate the facility before the conclusion of the year, transferring site administration directly to the Iraqi armed forces.
- Broader Regional Engagement: Breaking the news initially across regional media platforms, Channel8 noted that this diplomatic milestone coincides with mutual commitments to advance regional stability, economic connectivity, and strategic infrastructure projects like the Development Road initiative.
The diplomatic breakthrough aligns with joint economic initiatives, including mutual cooperation on the strategic Development Road project aimed at boosting regional stability.
In response, Ankara has expressed its readiness for coordination; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly that his country fully supports Baghdad's efforts to strengthen state authority and establish stability. At the same time, he emphasized that Turkey is working in coordination with Iraq on strategic projects such as the "Development Road" for the economic growth and stability of the region.
FYI
The deployment of Turkish forces for the conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) spans four decades and was later expanded with the establishment of the Bashiqa base during the rise of ISIS. According to reports from the Iraqi government, Turkey maintains more than 100 bases and observation points. Furthermore, according to statistics from international organizations and the American CPT (Community Peacemaker Teams) team, the number of Turkish military bases and headquarters in the Kurdistan Region has reached between 135 and 139 bases, the majority of which are located in Duhok and Erbil.
Here is a careful, professional translation of the Kurdish text into English, with all names, locations, and geographical references double-checked for accuracy:
The most important bases include:
- The Bamarni base in Duhok, which is a military airfield.
- The Kani Masi base in Amedi.
- The Sire base in Shiladze.
- The bases of Dereluk, Batufa, and Begova, the headquarters in Bradost and Sidakan, along with the headquarters of the MIT intelligence agency in Erbil, Duhok, Amedi, and Zakho. Some of the bases, such as Bamarni and Bashiqa, are located between 20 to 40 kilometers deep inside the territory of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
The evacuation of Bashiqa-Zilkan comes at a time when a large portion of these forces still remain along the mountainous areas and borders. Experts believe that the complete withdrawal of the remaining forces depends on the success of the peace process with the PKK and the strengthening of diplomacy between the two countries.
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