Turkey to keep troops in Syria and Iraq until border security is ensured

ANKARA — Turkey will keep its troops in Syria and Iraq until border security with its two neighbours is fully ensured, Defence Minister Yasar Guler told AFP, according to Arab News. Guler gave his remarks in a written answer to AFP questions, which Arab News published on 20 October 2026.

"We are maintaining our military presence in Iraq and Syria," Guler said. He added that the status of Turkey's base areas and its presence in the region would be reconsidered once the necessary conditions were met for regional and border security.

Guler did not give a timetable. He also declined to comment on future deployment or base plans, saying such plans had not been made public. He said troop numbers were assessed according to what was needed on the ground, and he did not disclose figures. An Iraqi security source told AFP that Turkish troops in Iraq now number between 800 and 1,000. A Turkish official said earlier that Turkey had between 16,000 and 18,000 troops in northern Syria when the Assad regime fell. No reliable figure for Syria has been published since then, according to the report.

Guler said Turkey and the new Syrian government had established close security coordination, and that Turkish troops were helping to strengthen the Syrian military. He also said the status of Turkish forces in Syria would be reassessed once the threat from terrorist groups was eliminated and state authority was established across Syria.

Guler said the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) must fully implement its decision to dissolve. He said Turkey was monitoring the process closely and that security measures had not been relaxed. He also said Turkey was watching Iraq's efforts to disarm militia groups, and he welcomed recent successes in the Sinjar region.

Background

Turkey has maintained troops in northern Syria and Iraq for years to counter threats from the PKK and from Daesh militants. The situation changed over the past two years, according to the report. A new government in Syria allied with Ankara took power after Bashar Assad's fall. Turkey also began a process to end its decades-long conflict with the PKK.

Turkish troops have been based in northern Iraq since 2015. They have carried out cross-border operations and air raids on PKK positions, a move that has strained ties between Ankara and Baghdad, the report said. Earlier this month, PKK fighters withdrew from four key bases in northern Iraq, according to Turkish intelligence.