ANKARA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye and Iraq issued a joint statement on Sunday reaffirming continued cooperation to end the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and establish central government authority in Iraq's Sinjar region of northern Nineveh province.
According to the statement released by the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications, Türkiye will begin taking steps to gradually transfer its Bashiqa-Zelikan military base in Nineveh to the Iraqi federal government.
The base in the Nineveh Plain has long been a point of contention between both countries. Türkiye established a military presence there in 2015 to support operations against the terrorist group Islamic State, while Iraq has long viewed it as an infringement on its sovereignty.
Sunday's statement added that the two countries have agreed to activate a joint security coordination committee to verify and monitor progress toward ending the PKK's presence in Sinjar.
The PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union. It was primarily based in southeastern Türkiye, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syria.
In May 2025, the group announced its decision to disarm and disband following a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. ■
