Turkey agrees to hand over Bashiqa base to Iraq
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced a military base transfer on Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Joint statement confirms gradual handover
The Turkish presidency issued a joint declaration with Baghdad regarding the Bashiqa-Zilkan facility. Officials stated that security improvements allow forces to return control to the Federal Government of Iraq. This transfer will follow an agreed mechanism and timetable between the two nations.
Meeting occurred during UN gathering
The announcement came after leaders met on the sidelines of the event in New York City. Reports indicate that Ankara established the site in 2015 with up to 600 soldiers deployed there. The US ambassador to Turkey described the agreement as a quiet turning point for regional stability.
Agreement strengthens Iraqi authority
The move aims to ease long-standing tensions between the neighbours while supporting state sovereignty. Kurdish authorities agreed to the establishment of the base before it was handed over. No specific date for the final transfer was included in the public statement.
All 3 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- Middle East Eye
- South China Morning Post
- France 24
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3 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.