The head of the Security Media Cell, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, confirmed today, Friday, that the delivery of the "Zlikan" camp to the federal government is a strategic step to enhance sovereignty, noting that security forces are capable of protecting the country and there is no need for factions outside the framework of the state.
Maan stated in a statement reviewed by the news agency that "the Iraqi-Turkish agreement regarding the delivery of the (Bashiqa-Zlikan) camp resulted in several gains, most notably reflected in enhancing the presence of the Iraqi state and its sovereignty over its territory, as the camp is being delivered directly to the federal government and not to any local entity or other formation, which reinforces the principle that managing Iraqi military and security lands and facilities is the responsibility of official state institutions."
He explained that "this step opens the door for reorganizing the security situation in Nineveh province and the areas surrounding Mosul city, and supports the establishment of more stable Iraqi security arrangements," pointing out that "the agreement linked the delivery of the camp to the progress achieved by Iraq through security steps."
Maan added that "the agreement entails an important political and diplomatic dimension, as it shifts the issue of Turkish military presence from a controversial framework to a negotiated security treatment between the two countries, alongside deepening security and economic cooperation, and accelerating joint strategic projects, foremost among them the development road."
Regarding the establishment of state authority, Maan indicated that "the delivery of the Bashiqa-Zlikan camp represents, from a political and constitutional principle, a practical step towards enhancing sovereignty and fully establishing state authority in Sinjar, and ending the presence of foreign armed elements that are prohibited," stressing the "necessity of reading the agreement as an integrated security package that goes beyond just vacating the military site."
He continued that "the Iraqi government advocates the principle of confining power and weapons to the state and enhancing the capacity of security forces to protect Iraqi territory," clarifying that "the Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali Al-Zaydi, affirmed in previous statements that the security forces can protect Iraqi territory and there is no need for the presence of armed factions outside the state's framework, making the delivery of (Zlikan) part of a broader path to re-establishing the state's security authority."
Regarding the timelines and the execution mechanism, Maan revealed that "the shift from the negotiation phase to the implementation phase, where both parties agreed that the delivery of the camp to the federal government will be gradual and according to an agreed mechanism and timetable," indicating that "the process is ongoing in an organized coordination between the two sides, preserving Iraq's security interests and sovereignty away from sudden or unilateral actions."
Maan concluded his statement by emphasizing "the clear linkage between the path of withdrawing Turkish forces and the security measures in northern Iraq, especially enforcing the rule of law in Sinjar and ending foreign armed presence, stressing that addressing these issues through official state institutions ensures unity in security decision-making, confines weapons to the state, and prepares a conducive environment for implementing joint understandings with the Turkish side."