92% of Kurds vote to split from Iraq

IRBIL, Iraq — Iraq’s Kurds voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence from Iraq, but faced being left stranded after Baghdad ordered international flights to halt service to Kurdish airports starting Friday. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ruled out the use of force, but vowed to take other measures to keep his country from breaking apart as the standoff looked set to worsen.

The referendum passed with more than 92 per cent of voters approving independence, the Kurdish region’s election commission told a news conference on Wednesday. Turnout was over 72 per cent, it said.

Despite such strong support, however, the non-binding vote was unlikely to lead to formal independence, even as it escalated long-running tensions with Baghdad. Iraq and its neighbours, along with virtually the entire international community, oppose any redrawing of the map.

The vote was held across the autonomous Kurdish region’s three provinces as well as in some disputed territories controlled by Kurdish forces but claimed by Baghdad.

The election commission did not release turnout figures for the disputed territories, which could serve as an indicator of how many people in those areas prefer Kurdish rule. Hendrin Mohammed, the election commission chief, told the Associated Press those numbers would be released by local authorities. He did not elaborate.

At a meeting with lawmakers, al-Abadi vowed to “enforce the rule of the federal authority in the Kurdish region with the power of the constitution,” rejecting the use of force.

He also ordered the Kurdish region to hand over control of its airports to federal authorities by Friday, threatening a total flight ban if they refused.