Iraqi troops redeployed to Turkish border after decades

ANKARA

Iraqi border security forces have begun duty in the country’s Zakho region as Baghdad established two new military bases in the area threatened by the PKK for the first time in 33 years.

The redeployment comes as a move to bolster security cooperation with neighboring Türkiye, as the two sides signed agreements on counterterrorism and border security during a recent visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Iraq. The agreements establish a Security Joint Coordination Center to facilitate intelligence sharing and collaboration between the two countries' militaries. The newly established Security Joint Coordination Center is expected to play a critical role in coordinating joint efforts in counterterrorism and border security.

According to Iraqi media reports, two military bases have been established in the village of Kishani, located in the Zakho district near the Turkish border. Turkish security sources also confirmed increased activity by Iraqi border guards in the area.

This progress marks a significant development 33 years after Iraqi forces were forced to withdraw from these border regions following the Gulf War in 1991.

Iraq's renewed focus on border security extends beyond its frontier with Türkiye. Iraqi officials are reportedly planning measures to tighten control over the Syrian border, aiming to curb unauthorized crossings. A recent visit by an Iraqi delegation to Türkiye allowed them to observe the security systems implemented along the Turkish border, with Türkiye expressing its readiness to provide Iraq with assistance in establishing similar measures.

The redeployment also encompasses Iraq's internal security. Since February, a brigade of the Iraqi army's border unit has been stationed in the Amedi and Sheladiz regions of Dohuk province, located near the Zap and Metina areas near Türkiye's Operation Claw-Lock zone in northern Iraq. PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU.