Iraq PM wants Kurds to ‘cancel’ referendum outcome

BAGHDAD: Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi yesterday demanded that Kurdish authorities “cancel” the outcome of the independence referendum in northern Iraq, as a condition for dialogue to resolve an escalating crisis.

In a speech to Parliament, al-Abadi renewed his ultimatum to Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to hand over control of international airports by tomorrow or face a ban on direct international flights to the Kurdish region.

People in northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence in Monday’s nonbinding referendum.

Any idea of secession is bitterly opposed by the home government as well as Turkey and Iran. The United States pressed Kurdish leaders to call off the poll.

“We won’t have a dialogue about the referendum outcome,” al-Abadi told Parliament.

“If they want to start talks, they must cancel the referendum and its outcome.

“We will impose Iraqi law in the entire region of Kurdistan under the constitution.”

His demand was rejected by KRG Transport Minister Mowlud Murad, who told a news conference in the Kurdish capital Erbil that keeping control of airports and maintaining direct international flights to Erbil was necessary for the fight against Islamic State militants.

Kurdish leaders said the referendum was held to give them a mandate to negotiate the peaceful secession of their region with Baghdad and Iraq’s powerful neighbours Iran and Turkey.

Pressure has been mounting on the Kurds since the vote, not just from Baghdad, but also from Ankara, with Turkey threatening measures, including cutting off oil exports from the region.

Murad expressed hope that the crisis could be resolved by tomorrow, saying it would damage Kurdistan’s economy.

The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority sent a notice yesterday to foreign airlines telling them international flights to Erbil and Sulaimaniya in the Kurdish region would be suspended tomorrow and only domestic flights were allowed. Agencies