Turkey's Fidan Ties Başika Withdrawal to Shengal Disarmament
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkish forces would gradually withdraw from the Başika base near Mosul, but only once Iraq disarms the PKK and affiliated groups in Shengal.
RastinewsTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking at a press conference in New York, said that under an agreement reached with Iraq, the Turkish Armed Forces would gradually reduce and eventually end their presence at the Başika base.
Fidan said the move depends on Iraq carrying out its roadmap to disband armed groups.
"Once the presence in Shengal ends"
Fidan said the Iraqi government has laid out a policy aimed at disarming all armed groups in the country, and that Turkey backs this approach.
He said Iraq's plan targets, in particular, the disarmament in Shengal of the PKK — which Turkey designates a terrorist organization — and affiliated groups, adding that Turkey's military presence in Iraq was established at Baghdad's invitation.
"Once the terrorist group's presence in Shengal ends, we will take certain steps as well," Fidan said.
Başika-Zilkan base to be handed to Iraq
At a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani agreed on the gradual withdrawal of Turkish forces from bases in the Mosul region, the full restoration of Iraqi state authority in Shengal, and an end to the presence of foreign armed elements in the area.
Under the agreement, the Başika-Zilkan base will be handed over to the Iraqi government in stages, following a mechanism and timeline tied to the progress Iraq makes.
Başika and Shengal have long been points of contention
Turkey deployed troops and armored vehicles to the Başika camp in December 2015; Baghdad called the move a violation of its sovereignty and demanded a withdrawal.
Shengal became a region divided among local forces, the Iraqi army and various armed groups following ISIS's 2014 genocide against the Yazidis. Erbil and Baghdad signed the Shengal Agreement in October 2020 governing the area's administration and security.