Iraq Says Turkish Troops Set to Leave, Reaffirms State Control of Arms

Iraq has announced that Turkish forces are preparing to leave the country and hand over the Bashiqa base to the Iraqi army, as Baghdad pursues efforts to end the foreign military presence.

The planned handover would place the base under Iraqi military control. No timetable for the withdrawal or transfer was provided in the announcement.

The preparations coincide with Baghdad’s efforts to address the foreign troop presence following the end of the international coalition’s mission.

Iraq also reaffirmed its commitment to keeping weapons exclusively under state control, linking the departure of foreign forces with its push to consolidate national authority over security.