Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Independence Referendum of Kurdistan Regional Government a grave mistake

The Foreign Ministry of Turkey said in a statement that maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq and maintaining its political unity was one of the basic principles of Turkey’s Iraq policy and the independence referendum of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on 25th September would be a grave mistake.

In the written statement made by the Ministry, it said Turkey had shared its views and concerns about the independence referendum which the KRG had been planning for a while, with the Iraqi Government and the KRG as well as the leading members of the international community. In this frame, it was also stated that said referendum of independence would not be in the interest of Iraq and that when critical developments in the region were currently taking place such a step would cause negative consequences to increase instability.

‘TURKEY’S PRINCIPAL PRINCIPLES OF IRAQ POLICY’

“We evaluate the KRG leadership’s declaration that it will hold a referendum on independence on 25t September 2017  in above framework of the above recommendations and remarks and think this would be a grave mistake. Maintaining the territorial integrity and political unity of Iraq is among Turkey’s main principles. This principle is among the prerequisites of permanent stability, peace, security and prosperity in the region.

The most important issue in front of Iraq, which is seen as a major struggle with DEAŞ and which we expect to be successfully accomplished soon, is to restore the deep human, political, economic and social destruction caused by DEAŞ and rebuild the country in every sense and establish permanent stability.

The means to achieve this is to continue the understanding of solidarity emerged during the struggle with DEAŞ thereafter and to cope with all future issues of the country in international and constitutional legitimacy. It is also clear that a referendum to be held in such extraordinary conditions for the Iraqi people, to include the controversial status of the state, would be far from reflecting the will of the people.