Türkiye and Iraq agreed Wednesday to deepen security cooperation, restore full Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and begin the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base to Baghdad under an agreed timetable.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the steps in a joint statement following talks in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The two leaders reviewed the strategic relationship between Türkiye and Iraq and agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation across a range of areas, with security taking a central role in the discussions.
Under the agreement, the two countries will work toward fully restoring Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of banned foreign armed groups in the area.
As progress is made in implementing the security measures, Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to Iraq's federal government in accordance with a mutually agreed mechanism and timetable, the statement said.
Ankara and Baghdad also agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, accelerate the implementation of previously signed agreements and advance joint strategic projects.
The two sides placed particular emphasis on speeding up the Development Road Project, a major transport and infrastructure corridor designed to connect Iraq's Gulf coast with Türkiye and onward to European markets.
Türkiye is continuing a peace process aimed at securing the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group and ending its decadeslong campaign of violence, as Ankara and Baghdad deepen security cooperation. Under an agreed mechanism and timetable, Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zelikan base near Mosul to the Iraqi government as Baghdad advances security measures in the area.
Türkiye deployed troops near Mosul in 2015 to train and protect Iraqi forces and local fighters preparing to combat Daesh. U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack welcomed the latest agreement, saying it served both "Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security." The two countries also agreed to strengthen trade ties, swiftly implement existing agreements and accelerate strategic projects.
Meanwhile, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the country's goal is to strengthen Iraq's and the region's energy security through electricity interconnections and natural gas and oil pipelines as part of the Development Road Project.
"We will work determinedly to boost bilateral trade, strengthen access to international energy markets, and advance the Türkiye-Iraq partnership through concrete projects supporting regional prosperity," he added.
