Iraq Says Turkish Forces to Withdraw from Zilkan Military Base by End of 2026
On Monday, Sabah Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of Iraq's Armed Forces, told Iraqi media that the handover of the military base would begin in phases during November, with the Turkish military presence expected to end by year-end.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraq's military spokesperson has announced that the phased withdrawal of Turkish forces from the Zilkan military base in Nineveh's Bashiqa subdistrict will begin this month, with the process expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
On Monday, Sabah Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of Iraq's Armed Forces, told Iraqi media that the handover of the military base would begin in phases during November, with the Turkish military presence expected to end by year-end.
Numan said the base would come under the control of Iraqi security forces by the end of this year or early 2027.
He revealed that a joint Iraqi-Turkish security committee had begun overseeing the handover process and strengthening security measures in Sinjar. The committee, comprising representatives from both countries, is expected to intensify its work in the coming period to ensure the transfer is completed within the agreed timeframe.
According to Numan, the committee's activation followed understandings reached between the Iraqi prime minister and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in New York on September 23.
The understandings are based on four main principles: strengthening security and strategic cooperation and coordination, reinforcing the Iraqi state's authority in Sinjar, facilitating the phased withdrawal of Turkish forces from Zilkan base, and expanding economic cooperation.
Numan also said the Iraqi-Turkish High Joint Committee had held a meeting in Turkey, reaching important understandings, particularly following developments in Sinjar last month.
He pointed to progress in the area, including the transfer of security responsibilities to the Iraqi Army, the removal of armed groups, the regulation of weapons, and the integration of members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) and other armed groups into Iraq's security forces.
He said these developments had encouraged Turkey to proceed with its commitments regarding the handover of the Zilkan base, adding that Ankara had witnessed the Iraqi government's seriousness and its security forces' ability to address outstanding issues.
Numan described the Turkish military presence at Zilkan as a longstanding and complicated issue that successive Iraqi governments had left unresolved.
However, he said the current government, under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, was determined to resolve outstanding issues rather than leave them to the next administration.
He cited the Sinjar file as an example of progress achieved through cooperation between local residents and security forces.