Turkey says northern Iraqi referendum an issue of national security
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that the planned independence referendum in northern
Iraq is an issue of national security, and Turkey will take any necessary steps.
(reuters) — On Friday, Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani said the vote would not be delayed, despite requests from
the United States and other Western powers worried that tensions between Baghdad and Erbil would distract
from the war on Isis militants who continue to occupy parts of Iraq and Syria.
Turkish President Erdogan said in an interview on Friday that Barzani’s decision not to postpone the referendum was “very wrong”.