Turkey to Hand Over Military Base to Iraq
Turkey and Iraq agree to gradually transfer the Bashiqa-Zilkan military camp to Baghdad after Erdoğan and al-Zaidi meet in New York.
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Baghdad: Turkey and Iraq have reached an agreement that Turkish forces will progressively hand over the Bashiqa-Zilkan military camp in northern Iraq to the Iraqi federal government. The deal was announced after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met during the UN General Assembly in New York.
The handover will follow Iraq's efforts in restoring complete state authority in the Sinjar area and eliminating the presence of proscribed foreign armed groups. The Bashiqa base, outside Mosul, has been a source of contention between Ankara and Baghdad since Turkey sent troops there in 2015.
The two countries also agreed to boost security cooperation, increase trade and investment, and expedite significant collaborative projects, such as the Development Road transportation corridor.
