Turkey objects to Kirkuk's decision to participate in KRG’s independence referendum
Turkey’s foreign ministry has released a statement on Tuesday (August 29) in reaction to the decision of provincial council of Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk, made earlier on the same day, to participate in the referendum on independence of the Kurdish region in Iraq.
The referendum that is scheduled to be held on September 25 had already irked Turkish authorities, who see the move as a threat to the Turkmen and Arab groups in the region and as a breach of Iraqi constitution.
The statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: While holding the referendum would already be a mistake in itself, the decision approved today (29 August) by the Kirkuk Provincial Council to include Kirkuk in the referendum has added a new element to the chain of mistakes and as such constituted another severe violation of the Iraqi constitution”.
“The persistent continuation of this hazardous line of action will serve the interests of neither Iraq, nor the KRG. It will not be approved by the international community. Last but not least, it will not contribute to the peace and stability of the region at a time when critical developments are unfolding”, the statement concluded.