The Ministry of National Defense announced on Thursday that Turkish troops stationed in Baghdad as part of the NATO Iraq mission have left the country under the current circumstances.
NATO ordered its staff in Iraq to evacuate last Friday, while Iraq said that it was a temporary precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the personnel. Iraq, like Türkiye, stands to be affected by the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war. NATO elements in Türkiye have intercepted several missiles reportedly fired by Iran, but the spillover of the conflict was worse for Iraq. Since the outbreak of war on Feb. 28, after U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, strikes have targeted both U.S. interests and pro-Iranian groups in Iraq. Baghdad has hardened its stance. On Tuesday, it granted former paramilitary groups and pro-Iran factions within the formal popular mobilization forces the "right to respond in self-defense" to attacks.
Bases hosting the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF), part of the regular army but containing some pro-Iran factions, have been targeted by airstrikes. The PMF has blamed these on the United States and Israel.
Some Iraqi pro-Iran factions, which have a presence within the PMF, have claimed daily attacks on U.S.-linked bases and interests in Iraq and across the region. On Tuesday, authorities said they would summon the U.S. charge d'affaires after a deadly strike targeting the PMF killed 15, and the Iranian ambassador over ballistic missile hits that killed six Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq controlled by Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk told a weekly press briefing in Ankara on Thursday that NATO’s Iraq mission was ordered to be evacuated by the alliance due to the latest developments in the region, and Türkiye joined the order, successfully evacuating troops. Aktürk said they also supported evacuation operations for military personnel of other NATO member countries.
The ministry also made a statement on Thursday regarding reports of the establishment of a multinational NATO headquarters. The statement said the work for establishing a corps headquarters as part of NATO’s southeastern flank regional plan in 2023 was done, and Türkiye formally relayed its intention to the alliance in 2024. The ministry said that contrary to the media reports, the headquarters was not established, though they were in contact with NATO for its foundation. The statement also said it was not related to current developments in the region, namely the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, and that the headquarters would serve for the integration of security forces for deterrence and defense missions.