Kirkuk's inclusion in region poll ‘dangerous’: Iran

By Murat Karadag

ISTANBUL (AA) - A decision by Kirkuk’s provincial council to include the disputed city in a Sept. 25 referendum on Kurdish regional independence is both “dangerous” and “provocative”, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

“The council’s decision is seen as unacceptable by the Iraqi government, the UN and several other countries,” ministry spokesman Behram Qasimi said at a press conference in Tehran.

He went on to warn that the planned referendum threatened to “overshadow” the Iraqi army’s recent successes -- in both Mosul and Tal Afar -- against the Daesh terrorist group.

Qasimi called on all parties involved to resolve their differences through dialogue and constitutional norms.

“Any move that leads to fresh crises -- in neighboring states and the wider region -- is unacceptable,” he said.

At a Tuesday session boycotted by Turkmen and Arab members, Kirkuk’s provincial council announced its decision to take part in a planned referendum on Kurdish regional independence, slated for Sept. 25.

The move has drawn negative reactions from Iraqi, Turkish and Iranian officials, along with non-Kurdish members of the provincial council itself.