Turkey and Iraq will establish a Joint Security Coordination Center in Baghdad, staffed by generals and officers from both countries, to strengthen their cooperation against shared security threats, Turkey’s Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday, local media reported.
The center is part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed during a high-level meeting in Ankara on August 15. The agreement, which marks a significant deepening of military collaboration between the two nations, comes after years of strained relations due to Turkey’s military operations against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants based in northern Iraq.
Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk, the ministry’s spokesman, detailed the agreement during a press briefing, emphasizing the importance of the new center for intelligence sharing, strategic military planning and coordinated actions against terrorist organizations.
The MoU also includes the creation of a Joint Training and Cooperation Center at the Bashiqa Base, located in northern Iraq, where Turkish and Iraqi personnel will conduct military training and share expertise. The initiative is intended to enhance the capabilities of Iraqi security forces in their efforts to combat terrorism and secure the region.
The ministry further clarified the scope of the MoU, stating that in addition to counterterrorism efforts, the agreement addresses joint border security, combating irregular migration and tackling smuggling and organized crime.
A report by Reuters highlighted that the MoU represents a historic first in military cooperation between Turkey and Iraq. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, after the agreement was signed, emphasized the significance of the deal, noting that the establishment of the Joint Security Coordination Center and the Joint Training and Cooperation Center were pivotal steps. “Through the joint coordination and training centers planned in this agreement, we believe we can take our cooperation to the next level,” Fidan was quoted by Reuters as saying.
The agreement comes after a period of improved relations between Ankara and Baghdad, which have been strained in recent years due to Turkey’s cross-border operations targeting the PKK in Iraq. Iraq has often criticized these operations as violations of its sovereignty, while Turkey has defended them as necessary to protect its national security.
The cooperation framework outlined in the MoU is expected to facilitate more effective joint actions against the PKK and other groups both countries regard as terrorist organizations. Turkey has long urged Iraq to take stronger measures against the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
Earlier this month Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler told Reuters that recent steps taken by Turkey and Iraq on counterterrorism marked a turning point in ties, adding that Ankara wanted Baghdad to go a step further and label the PKK a terrorist organization as soon as possible.