Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Holding an independence referendum in Iraq’s Kurdish Autonomous Region will destabilize the situation in the region, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said, the country’s media reported Sept. 2.
Bozdag noted that Turkey always supported the territorial integrity of Iraq, and has repeatedly called on Erbil to postpone the independence referendum.
He added that Turkey expects Erbil to cancel the holding of the referendum.
Iraq’s Kurdish Autonomous Region is expected to hold an independence referendum on September 25.
Earlier, Masoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, had warned that opposition to the referendum would be met with “a bloody war”.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that the Kurdish administration of Iraq will regret if it holds an independence referendum.
“Iraq’s integrity is a priority for Turkey,” noted Erdogan, adding that a referendum on independence of the Kurdish autonomy means the beginning of Iraq’s disintegration.
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