WORLD
Kurdish referendum results 'null and void': Turkey
Baku, September 25, AZERTAC
Turkey on Monday announced it would regard the results of the Kurdish referendum being held in northern Iraq as “null and void”, according to Anadolu Agency.
Turkey has voiced its opposition to the vote being held in areas under the control of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) since the plan was unveiled in June.
The Foreign Ministry said that the National Security Council on Monday outlined the sanctions to be imposed on the Kurdish region in the event of a vote for independence, which were later agreed by the Cabinet.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: “The referendum… in the KRG, is null and void in terms of its consequences.
“We do not recognize this initiative, which lacks legal basis and legitimacy with regard to the international law and the Iraqi constitution.
“We are dismayed by this attempt, which is far from common sense, undertaken by the KRG leadership who insisted on holding the referendum despite all the warnings of Turkey and of the international community and thereby endangered the peace and stability not only of Iraq, but also that of the region.”
The non-binding referendum will see voters in KRG-held areas, including areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, vote on seceding from Iraq.