Iraqi Kurds vote on independence
ERBIL: Kurds across northern Iraq lined up on Monday to vote in a referendum on whether to seek independence for an autonomous Kurdish region that has year ned for nationhood for more than a century.
Despite criticism from the Iraqi government and the United States, voters marked simple paper ballots with boxes offering a“yes” or“no” choice on whether to embark on a path toward an independent Kurdistan.
Some Iraqi Kurds were in a defiant mood, reflecting the region’ s determination to withstand resistance from internationally, which fears the vote will unleash ethnic conflict and further destabilise Iraq. The Kurds’ two neighbours, Turkey and Iran, have threatened to close borders and impose sanctions.
Even as Kurds flashed inkstained forefingers certifying they had voted, the referendum was fraught with risks that could further isolate and marginalize the landlocked enclave.
The Iraqi government, which considers the vote illegal, demanded that the Kurdish government surrender control of its international border posts and give up revenue from its oil exports to Turkey, the region’s single biggest source of income.
At Iraq’s request, Tehran halted flights on Sunday between Iran and the two airports in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Turkey and Iran, who fear the vote will foment unrest among their own Kurdish minorities, are conducting military exercises on their borders with Iraq near Kurdistan. NYT