Thursday, 24 September 2026

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed on Wednesday to a gradual handover of Turkey’s Bashiqa-Zilkan base to Iraq. Their joint statement says Turkish forces will transfer the camp under an agreed mechanism and timetable, but publishes no start or completion date. The two governments also agreed to restore full Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and end the presence of what they called banned foreign armed elements; the statement did not name the groups or set a date. They pledged to expand trade and investment and accelerate the Development Road project. The base transfer is an agreement, not a completed withdrawal: both governments have announced what they will do, without publishing when they will do it.

Iraq’s Security Media Cell said work was under way to integrate factions and their weapons into state institutions, while talks over implementation continued. State of Law leader Nouri al-Maliki said a Coordination Framework committee would announce a weapons-control programme and timetable on 30 September, not that handovers had begun. An unnamed Framework source told Shafaq News that Prime Minister al-Zaidi’s 30 June 2027 deadline could disrupt talks; MP Abu Turab al-Tamimi said it was achievable if US forces fully withdrew and the coalition mission ended. Neither position is an agreed Framework timetable. Ansar Allah al-Awfiya leader Ali al-Fatlawi said his movement would hand over weapons if Iraq gained “real sovereignty”, making an offer conditional rather than announcing a transfer. Reports say weapons storage and fighters’ future remain disputed. No faction has confirmed a handover as the government describes integration work and its committee prepares a programme. Separately, three suspected drone strikes hit residential parts of Soran early Thursday, leaving one person with minor injuries; Soran civil defence said nobody was killed.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has requested an additional 450 billion dinars in Iraq’s 2027 budget for Peshmerga pay, Council of Ministers Secretary Amanj Rahim said. The request would bring salaries and allowances for approximately 148,000 personnel into line with those of federal security forces. Rahim said regional negotiators had formally submitted it during budget talks in Baghdad. The KRG has also sought to classify Peshmerga funding as a sovereign expenditure. The funding request follows Masrour Barzani’s announcement that the Peshmerga had been unified under one ministry, when he also called for equal salary treatment. Pay parity remains a budget demand, alongside the Region’s stated 14.14 percent floor for its federal-budget share.

Ground handlers have stopped serving Iranian flights over sanctions concerns, state media reported, following the reported suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad. Iran’s civil aviation authority said Baghdad-bound flights would be redirected to Najaf. Najaf airport had said it received no official order to stop accepting Iranian flights, while Erbil and Sulaymaniyah reported continuing services without formal suspension notices. An airline executive told Shafaq News that Iranian carriers operate about 50 flights a day to Iraq and warned that disruption would affect patients, students and other travellers. Ground transport operators told the outlet they expected more demand, with some preparing to buy additional buses. Nujaba officials Nazem al-Saeedi and Hussein al-Mousawi joined Badr’s objection to the flight restrictions. The reported Baghdad suspension does not establish a nationwide ban; airport instructions and decisions by private service providers are separate matters.

Iraq sentenced two lawmakers to ten years each over more than $55 million in illicit gains. Separately, MP Ashwaq Salem was sentenced to seven years for corruption. Her case follows yesterday’s reported seven-year sentence of MP Alia Nassif for corruption and illicit enrichment. Nassif had been detained since 28 June, and documents dated 26 August showed a precautionary asset freeze covering her and 11 other political figures. Prison sentences, not just arrests, now mark cases involving lawmakers in a campaign that had already detained at least 210 people.

Ansar Allah al-Awfiya leader Ali al-Fatlawi said his movement was prepared to hand over weapons if Iraq gained “real sovereignty”, making the offer conditional rather than announcing a transfer. On FAA (Ansar Allah al-Awfiya — official), he urged Baghdad to use the factions’ presence in negotiations over funds, sovereignty and US pressure on Iraqi decisions. He also welcomed official foreign contacts through state institutions while rejecting unofficial meetings. State of Law leader Nouri al-Maliki said a Coordination Framework committee would announce a weapons-control programme and timetable on 30 September, not that handovers had begun. An unnamed Framework source told Shafaq News that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s 30 June 2027 target could disrupt talks with faction leaders; MP Abu Turab al-Tamimi said that date was achievable if US forces fully withdrew and the coalition mission ended. A separate report said weapons storage and fighters’ future remained unresolved. Iraq and Turkey meanwhile agreed to a gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan base and to restore Iraqi state authority in Sinjar. Their joint statement gave no handover date.

Badr’s parliamentary bloc reportedly withdrew chief Mahdi Taqi al-Amarli’s resignation from parliament after reports that he had sought to leave both parliament and Badr. iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) reported the two resignations, and Shafaq News cited an informed source who said al-Amarli had notified Badr’s leadership by letter. Al-Kornet al-Kata’ibi (KSS — affiliated) then reported that the bloc had rejected and withdrawn his parliamentary letter. Shafaq separately cited a Badr-bloc source who said Badr secretary-general Hadi al-Amiri had ordered the letter withdrawn. The reported reversal concerns al-Amarli’s parliamentary resignation; it does not settle whether he has left Badr.

Separately, three suspected drone strikes hit residential parts of Soran in Erbil province early Thursday, The New Region’s correspondent reported. One strike hit a house and left one person with minor injuries. The correspondent said a third strike occurred while civil defence teams were present; Soran civil defence said nobody was killed. This is a separate incident from the 20 September blasts near Erbil airport that some militia channels described as drone activity before others carried an account of military training.

Nujaba officials joined the Badr parliamentary bloc’s objection to restrictions on Iranian flights. Nazem al-Saeedi (Nujaba — executive council head) called the disruption submission to US-Israeli dictates and urged religious and tribal institutions to oppose it. Hussein al-Mousawi (Nujaba — deputy secretary-general for media) called it a dangerous rupture in Iraq’s relations with Iran and submission to US decisions. Their reported remarks add two named Nujaba officials to Badr’s objection. Iran’s civil aviation authority said flights bound for Baghdad would be redirected to Najaf. The airport notices carried by faction channels on Wednesday said Najaf had received no official instruction and Erbil and Sulaymaniyah said flights continued without a formal suspension notice; neither account establishes a halt across Iraqi airports.

Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) carried two commentators’ allegations about Oil Ministry spending and gasoline trade as Sadiqoun pursued its questioning of the oil minister over fuel shortages. Economic expert Muhannad al-Amari alleged that the ministry paid to rent 2003-model tankers as though they were 2024 models. He also alleged that Iraq sold oil residue to Jordan and the UAE, then bought it back as gasoline after refining. Oil and economy researcher Hussein Imran separately alleged that the ministry imported super gasoline and mixed it into premium and regular grades. These were the guests’ allegations, not findings about the transactions or statements by AAH officials.