Planned Kurdish referendum to open door to bloodshed: Iraqi premier

Iran, Iraq and Turkey have voiced concerns over a planned secession referendum in the northern Iraqi Kurdistan region, warning that the unconstitutional vote could fan the flames of tensions in the Middle East.

Foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq and Turkey, namely Mohammad Javad Zarif, Ibrahim al-Ja’afari and Mevlut Cavusoglu made the remarks in a joint statement issued Thursday following a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

The statement expressed opposition to the planned referendum, warning that the move will jeopardize Iraq’s campaign against Daesh Takfiri terrorists and will lead to new conflicts across the already troubled region.

The three neighboring states also called on the Iraqi Kurdish leaders to refrain from holding the vote and underlined the need for dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve the issue.

The statement also called for efforts to protect Iraq’s sovereignty and national unity.

PM Abadi: Vote to ‘open door for bloodshed’

On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned against catastrophic ramifications of a planned independence referendum in the country’s northern Kurdistan region, calling for dialog to resolve the issue.

“This referendum is against the constitution, it divides the country, and it weakens the country. I call for dialogue on the unity of Iraq, we are in one country,” Abadi said during a speech in Baghdad on Wednesday.

“Now if people’s lives are dependent on the borders, we can deal with this through negotiations. Let there be dialog. But for one side and with this use of force, this will open the door for bloodshed,” he added.