Türkiye and Iraq will begin steps to transfer the Bashiqa-Zilkan base to Iraq’s federal government, a move linked to security progress in Sinjar and efforts to end the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) presence.
Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications shared a joint statement Sunday that backed continued Iraqi measures to restore state authority in Sinjar. The governments agreed to activate the Joint Security Coordination Committee to track progress in the process to end the PKK’s presence there.
Sabah al-Numan, military spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, previously said the plan would bring Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) members into Iraqi security institutions and place security on Sinjar Mountain under federal authorities, as described in earlier coverage of the plan.
The Sept. 23 agreement linked a gradual handover to progress in Iraqi security measures in Sinjar under an agreed mechanism and timetable. Sunday’s statement did not give a date for completing the transfer.
