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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 27 september 2017
Iraq warns Kurds as they claim victory in independence vote

Masoud Barzani, the Kurd- now number around 30 mil- used to redraw Iraq’s bor-
ish regional president who lion, were divided among ders, taking a sizeable part
spearheaded the referen- Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. of the country’s oil wealth
dum, called for “dialogue” After polls closed in Iraq’s with it, al-Abadi has called
with Baghdad. “Negotia- Kurdish region Monday the referendum an act of
tions are the right path to night, the skies above Ir- “sedition” that “escalated
solve the problems, not bil filled with fireworks and the ethnic and sectarian
threats or the language of families flocked to the cen- tension” across the country.
force,” he said in a televised ter of town to celebrate. In Iran, thousands of Kurds
address. Regional authori- Across the border thou- poured into the streets in
ties in Iraq’s autonomous sands of Iranian Kurds held the cities of Baneh, Saghez
Kurdish north put the turn- rallies in support. and Sanandaj on Mon-
out at over 70 percent, but The non-binding vote is un- day night. Footage shared
many voters reported irreg- likely to lead to formal inde- online by Iranian Kurds
ularities, including cases of pendence, to which virtu- showed demonstrators
Turkish, left, and Iraqi soldiers greet each other as they take part individuals voting multiple ally the entire international waving lit mobile phones
in military exercises in Silopi, near the Habur border gate with times and without proper community is opposed, in the air and chanting
Iraq, southeastern Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. registration. Official results but could spark unrest at a their support into the night.
(Pool photo via AP) are expected Wednes- time when Iraqi and Kurdish Some footage also showed
By SUSANNAH GEORGE posed to any redrawing of day. For decades, Kurd- forces — both U.S. allies — Iranian police officers as-
QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA its borders, and Turkey and ish politics have hinged on are still battling the Islamic sembling nearby or watch-
Associated Press Iran fear the move will em- dreams of an independent State group. ing the demonstrators.
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iraq’s bolden their own Kurdish Kurdish state. When colo- Iraqi troops are carrying out Iranian state television on
prime minister on Tuesday populations. nial powers drew the map joint military exercises with Tuesday acknowledged
ordered the Kurdish region Prime Minister Haider al- of the Middle East after Turkey along the border. the rallies, a rarity in the Is-
to hand over control of its Abadi issued his ultimatum World War I, the Kurds, who Fearing the vote could be lamic Republic.q
airports to federal authori- a day after the landmark
ties or face a flight ban, as vote, which he said was a
the Kurds claimed victory “historic and strategic mis-
for the “yes” vote in an in- take by the Kurdish leader-
dependence referendum ship.”
rejected by Baghdad and “I will not give up on the
Iraq’s neighbors. unity of Iraq, that is my na-
The Iraqi Kurdish leader- tional and constitutional
ship billed Monday’s vote duty,” he said, adding that
as an exercise in self-de- any ban would still allow
termination, but the Iraqi for humanitarian and other
government is strongly op- “urgent” flights.