Baghdad to halt flights to N. Iraq post referendum

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraq will halt all international flights to and from Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)-held areas unless border checkpoints are handed over to central Iraqi administration, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced Tuesday.

"Unconstitutional referendum will have a negative impact on both Iraq and KRG as it [referendum] is a unilateral move ignoring suggestions of the international community," Abadi said in a news conference in Baghdad on Tuesday.

"The border gates in KRG operate under the supervision of Iraq Border Control Institution and they must be handed over to the central administration as national charter suggests," he said.

"Iraqi government will never give up on the unity and sovereignty of the country, hence we will not negotiate on the results of the referendum," Iraqi premier said.

* Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara.