Sheikh Khazali calls for the withdrawal of Turkish forces and the return of their military bases … After the justifications for their presence in Iraq have expired.

The General Secretary of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, His Eminence Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, called on the Iraqi government and parliament on Monday to take urgent and decisive steps to guarantee Iraq’s sovereignty, most notably the immediate end of the Turkish military presence on Iraqi territory. This came after the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced its dissolution and disarmament, based on an initiative by its leader, Abdullah Ocalan. The move was considered a historic step towards ending more than four decades of armed conflict with successive Turkish governments, which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of victims.
In a statement on the Aks platform, Sheikh Khazali explained that this historic announcement refutes all the pretexts used by Turkey to justify its widespread occupation of Iraqi territory, which exceeds 5,000 square kilometers in area, including the establishment of more than 183 military bases in the Dohuk and Erbil governorates, in addition to the Bashiqa base in Nineveh governorate.
In this context, His Eminence called on the Iraqi government and parliament to follow up on the implementation of the peace process he announced, provide full support to ensure its success, and immediately begin the necessary measures to ensure the complete withdrawal of Turkish forces and all PKK elements from Iraqi territory.
His Eminence stressed the need for immediate action to take over the military bases currently occupied by Turkish forces inside Iraq, and to officially announce their withdrawal in accordance with established international procedures.
His Eminence also called on the Turkish government to cooperate seriously with Iraq to protect the shared border strip, ensuring that armed groups do not cross into and out of Iraqi territory again. He considered the protection of the Iraqi border a sovereign responsibility of the federal government, and a guarantee for the protection of all provinces, including the Kurdistan Region and Nineveh, as well as for Türkiye’s security.
Sheikh Al-Khazali called for capitalizing on the upcoming Arab summit in Baghdad to demand a unified Arab resolution calling for the expedited withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraqi territory and ensuring respect for Iraq’s sovereignty and security.
His Eminence reiterated the Iraqi government’s commitment to revoking the Memorandum of Understanding with Turkey, which was proposed in August 2024, noting that this memorandum was widely rejected by the Iraqi people and politicians, and does not serve the nation’s interests or preserve its sovereignty. He pointed out that the official and legal cancellation of the memorandum would be a step towards establishing a solid relationship with Turkey, based on respect for sovereignty, cooperation, and good neighborliness, within the framework of international agreements and conventions.
Sheikh Khazali expressed his hope that this agreement would mark a genuine beginning for peace and guarantee the rights of the region’s diverse populations, including our Kurdish brothers, who have long struggled to achieve their demands. He noted that concluding the peace process and completing the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraq would pave the way for a relationship of friendship and cooperation that would preserve the security and sovereignty of the two neighboring peoples.