Joint Security Pact Clears Path for Federal Control in Sinjar and Bashiqa

Turkey will transfer control of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi federal government, the Turkish presidency announced on Wednesday, 23 September. The decision follows a bilateral meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. A joint statement confirmed that Turkish forces will execute a gradual handover based on an agreed mechanism and timetable, though specific dates for the final withdrawal were not disclosed. The base, established in December 2015 with the initial consent of the Kurdistan Regional Government, has hosted approximately 600 Turkish soldiers and was a long-standing source of diplomatic friction between Ankara and Baghdad. Sovereignty and Border Security The agreement marks a shift in regional security cooperation. Baghdad previously accused Ankara of violating its sovereignty through the continued presence of troops at Bashiqa. Tom Barrack, the US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, stated on social media that the agreement serves both Iraqi sovereignty and Turkish security interests. In addition to the base transfer, both nations agreed on Wednesday to restore full state authority in the Sinjar region. This involves the elimination of "illegal foreign armed elements," a reference to the Kurdistan Workers\' Party (PKK), which Turkey has frequently targeted in military operations. The PKK announced its…