Türkiye says troops will stay in Syria, Iraq 'until borders are secured'

Türkiye says its troops will remain in neighboring Iraq and Syria for now. The central issue is border and regional security. Ankara links the duration of its deployment to whether threats near its borders have been sufficiently reduced.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said Türkiye would reconsider its base areas and presence when the necessary security conditions are met. This means the decision depends on an official assessment, rather than a fixed withdrawal date. The article does not give a timetable.

The statement shows that Türkiye views its deployments as connected to continuing security concerns. Troops have been involved in operations against YPG and Daesh in northern Syria and against the PKK in Iraq. Even if one base is transferred to Iraqi control, Türkiye says its broader presence and cooperation will continue until it judges border security to be ensured.

A military base area is a designated place where armed forces can station personnel, equipment, and command or support facilities. Such areas help troops operate nearby and respond to security threats. Their presence also raises important questions about control, consent, and relations with the host country.

Bashiqa-Zilkan is a key Turkish base in Iraq. The article says it is expected to be handed over to Iraqi authorities. That transfer is significant because it comes alongside the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and signals what the article calls the start of a new era for Iraq and Türkiye.

The handover does not mean security ties will end. Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said cooperation with Iraq would continue, and that Türkiye would keep supporting Iraq’s security and stability. The base therefore represents both a physical military site and a marker of changing bilateral arrangements.

Türkiye’s cross-border activity has covered two neighboring countries and involved both military offensives and continuing deployments. Since the Syrian civil war reached its height, Türkiye has launched operations across the Syrian border and maintained troops in Syria and Iraq. The article presents this as a broad regional security effort.

In northern Syria, Turkish offensives drove what the article calls terrorist groups YPG and Daesh away from areas close to Türkiye’s border. In Iraq, Türkiye carried out operations against the PKK. These actions show that the activity has involved different operations against several armed groups across separate theaters.

The article does not provide troop totals, numbers of operations, or a complete geographic map. It does say Türkiye continues maintaining a military presence in both countries. The future of that presence depends on Ankara’s assessment of regional and border security, while one Iraqi base is expected to be transferred.

The base handover is presented as a change in military arrangements, not a breakdown in the relationship. Bashiqa-Zilkan is expected to pass to Iraqi authorities, but Türkiye’s Defense Ministry explicitly rejected the idea that this would end cooperation. That distinction matters because security ties can continue even when control of a base changes.

The key mechanism is continued support rather than permanent control of one facility. The ministry said Türkiye would keep supporting Iraq’s security and stability. The article does not list specific future activities, so it does not establish exactly how that support will be delivered.

The handover comes during the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, which had remained as part of an anti-Daesh coalition. Together, these developments point to a new phase in Iraq-Türkiye relations. Türkiye may reduce or change a particular base arrangement while preserving broader security cooperation with Baghdad.

Türkiye says its cross-border operations were linked to security threats near its frontier. At the height of the Syrian civil war, it launched offensives into northern Syria. The article says these operations aimed to drive terrorist groups away from northern areas close to Türkiye’s border, connecting military action directly to border security.

The groups named in Syria were YPG and Daesh. In Iraq, Türkiye carried out operations against the PKK. These were separate campaigns in different neighboring countries, but the article presents them within the same wider effort to address threats affecting Türkiye’s regional and border security.

The article also says the PKK is now in the phase of dissolution after the launch of the terror-free Türkiye initiative in 2024. It does not describe the operational details of that process. Türkiye nevertheless continues its military presence in Iraq and Syria while it assesses whether necessary security conditions have been achieved.

The article describes two changes that could reshape security responsibilities: U.S. forces are withdrawing from Iraq, and the PKK is in a phase of dissolution. The U.S. presence had been linked to an anti-Daesh coalition. Its withdrawal may therefore reduce one outside military role, while the PKK’s reported dissolution could change the threat Türkiye has been addressing in Iraq.

The likely mechanism is greater reliance on Iraq and Türkiye to manage security cooperation. Türkiye has conducted operations against the PKK and maintains troops in Iraq. Iraq is expected to take control of Bashiqa-Zilkan. These developments could push both governments toward more direct coordination, although the article does not specify a final security structure.

Türkiye’s Defense Ministry says the base handover will not end cooperation. Instead, Türkiye will continue supporting Iraq’s security and stability. The future role of Turkish troops will depend on Ankara’s assessment of regional and border conditions, so responsibilities may change without ending bilateral security ties.

National sovereignty means a state has supreme authority over its territory and political decisions. When foreign troops are stationed there, the arrangement must respect the host country’s authority. In practice, a deployment is generally lawful when the host government gives valid consent, usually through an agreement, invitation, or authorization consistent with its domestic and international obligations. This explanation uses established international-law principles beyond the article.

Consent can define where troops operate, what they may do, how long they may stay, and when they must leave. A formal defense agreement is one possibility. An official invitation or a later handover arrangement can also shape the presence. In the article, Iraq is expected to receive the Bashiqa-Zilkan base, while Türkiye says cooperation will continue.

The article does not identify the legal agreement governing Türkiye’s presence. It does show that control and cooperation are being reconsidered through government statements and talks. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced steps in a joint statement after meeting in New York.