Turkey and Iraq negotiate agreement on Turkish troops in Bashiqa

Turkey and Iraq are negotiating on a five- or six-point agreement to clarify the current status and future of Turkish troops at the Bashiqa military camp close to Mosul.

A visiting Turkish delegation presented a draft to Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Oct. 17, and the parties edited some of the articles following proposals by the Iraqi side, Turkish officials said. As Iraq works on the draft agreement, Ankara and Baghdad will continue talks in the near future, they said.

The status of the Bashiqa camp, the involvement of Shiite militias in Mosul offensive and the presence of outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) elements in the Sinjar region were the three main issues discussed during the delegation's visit.

Ankara and Baghdad have reached a "general consensus" over the issues, according to Turkish officials, who stressed that Turkey preferred a written agreement which would also have an effect on non-state actors in Iraq.

As a second option, the parties could implement the consensus under a modus vivendi without a written accord, according to developments in Iraq. The Turkish side is worried about Tehran's possible interference in the talks between Baghdad and Ankara.

Turkey proposes use of Turkish troops' assets in Bashiqa

On the issue of Turkish forces in northern Iraq, the agreement will identify the current status and future of the troops, with Turkey insisting that the soldiers remain stationed at Bashiqa until the end of the Mosul offensive. A formula that would bring the status of Bashiqa camp under the mandate of the coalition forces has long been proposed by Turkey.

Ankara also proposed that Iraq use Turkish troops' assets at the Bashiqa camp, such as its artillery capacity, as...

Continue reading on: