Iraq orders Kurdistan to surrender airports
IRBIL, Iraq — Iraq’s prime minister on Tuesday, angered by a vote on independence by his nation’s Kurdish minority, gave the country’s Kurdish region until Friday to surrender control of its two international airports or face a shutdown of international flights.
Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq had antagonized Iraq, Turkey and Iran by holding the referendum Monday. The results have not yet been announced, but the Kurdish Regional Government said Tuesday that the vote had gone overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Iraq.
A “yes” vote would not lead to immediate independence for the semiautonomous region, but it would direct the regional government to begin the process of creating an independent state, including negotiating a separation with Baghdad.
Iraqi officials have called the referendum unconstitutional and have refused to negotiate with the Kurdish leadership. The Iraqis fear losing a third of the country and a major source of oil, should Kurdistan break away.
Prime Minister Haider alAbadi said his government had decided to demand control of the airports because the referendum had “destabilized” the region. He said humanitarian and other “urgent” flights would be exempt from the ban.
Referring to the Kurdish leadership, he added, “Unfortunately, some have tried to weaken Iraq and be stronger than the state.”
“We are partners in this country, and the partnership means we work together and don’t carry out unilateral decisions that lead to division and conflict and weakness,” al-Abadi said.
There was no immediate response by leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government. In an address in Irbil on Tuesday night, Massoud Barzani, the region’s president, referred indirectly to al-Abadi’s ultimatum.
“We ask the Baghdad government not to threaten the Kurds because of the referendum,” he said. He urged the Iraqi government to enter negotiations and to respect what he said was the will of the Kurdish people to seek a nation of their own.
He added that the referendum had been approved by a wide margin, though he did not provide figures.