The Turkish government announced this Sunday the start of a process to gradually withdraw its troops from the Basika-Zilikan military base in northern Iraq, an installation it had controlled since 2015.

[The Final U.S. Coalition Exit Ended Two Decades of Operations in Iraq: Turkiye Announces Its Phased Withdrawal of a Military Base in Northern Iraq](https://www.telesurenglish.net/turkiye-announces-its-phased-withdrawal-of-a-military-base-in-northern-iraq/)

In a statement, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications affirmed that the first steps have already been taken to transfer the management of the base – located near the city of Mosul, in the north of the Arab country – to the federal government in Baghdad, in compliance with the agreement sealed on September 23 in New York by the leaders of both nations.

“In accordance with the agreement reached at the leadership level, the Turkish side will begin to take the necessary measures for the gradual handover of the Basika-Zilikan complex to the Iraqi federal government,” states the official note, which describes the start of this process as a coordinated and bilateral step.

The Turkish army had occupied this position since 2015, when it was originally established to train local forces in the fight against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS).

Türkiye and Iraq reaffirm commitment to restoring full state authority in Sinjar and ending presence of PKK terrorist organization elements

🔸 Both sides pledge to continue steps taken by Iraqi authorities under Sept. 23, 2026 agreement

🔸 Türkiye begins preparations for… pic.twitter.com/cdAPA6A8oO

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 8, 2026

Subsequently, the enclave was used as a logistical and operational center against the bases of the proscribed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Kurdish guerrilla in Turkiye.

This withdrawal is part of the de-escalation process resulting from the May 2025 announcement, in which the guerrilla organization declared its dissolution and the definitive abandonment of armed struggle.

In the following months, the group’s fighters have been vacating their shelters in the mountainous areas of northern Iraq.

Ankara had conditioned its definitive withdrawal from Basika-Zilikan on the total neutralization of the PKK militants’ presence in the area and the full assumption of security by the Iraqi State.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.