Storyline
Turkey-Iraq Bashiqa base handover 2026
One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.
2 DAYS
11 FACTS
2 EVENTS
2 SOURCES
FIRST ENTRY SEP 24
SEP 25 · Day 2
Will Turkiye end its military presence in northern Iraq?
The Turkish military has been active in northern Iraq for decades.
Turkey established military bases in northern Iraq citing security threats from Kurdish fighters.
Turkey and Iraq reached an agreement for Turkish forces to gradually transfer control of a military base to the Iraqi army.
SEP 24 · Day 1
Turkey agrees to gradual handover of Bashiqa base to Iraq
The deployment of up to 600 Turkish soldiers to Bashiqa drew criticism from Baghdad.
Cross-border operations in Sinjar eased following a peace process between Ankara and the PKK in 2025.
The announcement of the base transfer followed a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.