Northern Iraq town, Yazidi heartland, site of mounting security fragility
Iraq and Turkey have agreed to establish full state authority in Sinjar and end the presence of outlawed armed elements. Turkish forces will hand over a Bashiqa-Zilkan base to Baghdad under an agreed mechanism, with a timetable not specified. The pact follows talks between Erdogan and al-Zaidi at the UN General Assembly, and aligns with earlier Kurdish armed groups’ disarmament efforts.
Turkish President has indicated that Turkish troops remain in northern Iraq and Syria to guard borders and contain PKK and Daesh threats. The number of troops is kept proportional to ground needs, and a reassessment will occur once security conditions and state authority are established across Syria and borders are secure.