Iraq Says Turkey Agrees to Withdraw Troops, Calling Their Presence an Insult to National Dignity
Iraq’s national security adviser says Turkish forces have pledged to withdraw from Iraqi territory, starting with the Bashiqa base, after Baghdad told Ankara its military presence was no longer acceptable. He quoted Iraq’s prime minister describing the deployment as “insulting to Iraqi dignity.”
Iraq says it has secured a pledge from Turkey to pull its forces from Iraqi territory after years of tension over Turkish bases in the north.
National Security Advisor Qasim al‑Aboudi said Turkish officials agreed to withdraw, beginning with their presence at the Bashiqa base. He described the commitment as the outcome of lengthy discussions.
“We told Turkish officials in my last visit to Turkey that their military presence was no longer acceptable to Iraq,” al‑Aboudi said. He added that Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi told the head of Turkey’s intelligence service that the Turkish presence was “insulting to Iraqi dignity.” Al‑Aboudi said the Turks were convinced to withdraw after a long back‑and‑forth discussion and pledged to start with Bashiqa.
Ankara has not yet publicly set out a timetable or full scope for any withdrawal. Turkish troops have operated inside Iraq for years as part of cross‑border campaigns, a deployment that has often angered Baghdad.
For Iraqi communities near Bashiqa and other Turkish positions, a drawdown would change daily conditions. Residents have lived with the risk of airstrikes, artillery fire and movement of armed forces on their land, in addition to the presence of other non‑Iraqi armed groups.
For Baghdad, a Turkish exit from Bashiqa would be proof it can push back against foreign militaries stationed on its soil. Iraqi leaders have faced domestic pressure to limit external influence of all kinds.
Turkey now has to balance the value it places on forward positions in Iraq against the diplomatic cost of staying. Bases in the north have helped it monitor and strike hostile fighters outside its own borders. Adjusting that posture will force difficult choices about how it manages security threats further away.
The regional picture is shifting as well. If Turkey does pull back, Iraq will need to decide what forces, if any, replace the Turkish footprint around Bashiqa and how it manages armed groups that operate there.
Signals to watch include any confirmation from Ankara of specific dates or units leaving Iraq, evidence on the ground of a drawdown at Bashiqa, and how Iraqi federal or local security forces move into areas where Turkish troops have been based.
Sources
- OSINT