Kurdish chief threatens Iraq with drawing new borders

The president of Iraqi Kurdistan warned Baghdad’s central government of plans to draw new Kurdish borders if it did not accept its referendum vote.

“Its our right to seek independence,” Masoud Barzani told the BBC. “This is the first time in history that people in Kurdistan will freely decide their future.”

Baghdad’s central government rejects the vote calling it unconstitutional, while Washington, Tehran and Ankara have pressed the Kurds to postpone the poll, claiming the referendum will distract from the fight against ISIL and will spark further instability.

“When have we ever had stability and security in this region that we should be concerned about losing it?” Mr Barzani asked.

“When was Iraq so united that we should be worried about breaking its unity? Those who are saying this are just looking for excuses to stop us.”

The Kurdish president said he wanted to reach an agreement with Baghdad after the September 25 vote.

“After the vote, we will start talks with Baghdad, to reach an agreement over border, water and oil,” Mr Barzani said. “We will take these steps and if they don’t accept them, that will be another matter.”

Voting will take place in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and in areas still disputed such as Kirkuk, home to Iraqi Arabs, Turkmen, Christians and Kurds, and is claimed by both Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government in Erbil.

“If people of Kirkuk vote ‘no’ in this referendum we will respect their vote. We don’t accept that anyone can prevent us from holding a referendum there,” Mr Barzani said. The governor of Kirkuk, Negm Al Din Karim, said yesterday that the referendum vote would not affect “the historic coexistence” among the people of the province.

Mr Barzani cautioned that “if any group wants to change the reality of Kirkuk using force, they should expect that every single Kurd will be ready to fight over it”.

Iraqi Turkmen political parties in Kirkuk reiterated their opposition and called on supporters to boycott the poll.

Ershad Salihi, head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, said that the vote was “a tool being used against the region’s Turkmen”.

On Sunday, the head of the Arab League, Ahmed AboulGheit held talks with Mr Barzani in Erbil.

Mr Aboul-Gheit said that the “long-standing disputes between Baghdad and Erbil should be resolved through dialogue”, and urged Mr Barzani to delay the much contested vote.