Turkey agrees to gradually hand over military camp to Iraq

Summary

Turkey and Iraq reached an agreement for Turkish forces to gradually turn over a military camp in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government following discussions in New York during the UN General Assembly. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the need to deepen security cooperation, specifically in the context of establishing state authority in Sinjar and addressing the presence of outlawed armed elements, which primarily refers to Kurdish militants. This handover of the Bashiqa-Zelikan base, which Turkey deployed in 2015 to support local forces against Islamic State, is part of Turkey's ongoing peace process aimed at disarming the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and resolving a long-standing conflict.

Analysis

Iraq: Iraq is a Middle Eastern country led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. It has long sought the withdrawal of foreign military forces from its territory to restore full sovereignty. The agreement with Turkey advances efforts to establish state authority in Sinjar and remove outlawed armed elements from northern areas. Turkey: Turkey is a transcontinental country spanning Europe and Asia, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It has maintained a military presence in northern Iraq since 2015 for training and security purposes against threats like Islamic State. The recent agreement commits Turkish forces to gradually hand over the Bashiqa-Zelikan base to Iraqi authorities as part of deepened security cooperation. Ali al-Zaidi: Ali al-Zaidi serves as the Prime Minister of Iraq. He met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. This meeting produced a joint statement outlining the phased handover of Turkish military camps and expanded bilateral security ties. Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the President of Turkey. He engaged in talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in New York. The discussions resulted in agreements on security cooperation, including the gradual transfer of the Bashiqa-Zelikan base and measures against foreign armed groups in northern Iraq. Peace Process: Turkey is advancing a peace process aimed at disarming militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and resolving a decades-old conflict. Bilateral Relations: The leaders stressed the urgent need to implement previously signed agreements and accelerate strategic projects to strengthen ties and trade. Security Cooperation: Turkey and Iraq agreed to fully establish state authority in Sinjar and end the presence of outlawed foreign armed elements, referring to Kurdish militants.

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