Turkey blasts referendum push for Iraq's Kirkuk

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey has strongly condemned a decision to hold a referendum on the future of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called the decision "unilateral" and thus lacking legitimacy.

"This decision made during a meeting without Turkmens and Arabs, who are essential elements of Kirkuk, has no legitimacy," the ministry said.

In a session boycotted by its Arab and Turkmen members, the Kirkuk Provincial Council earlier on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to hold a referendum on uniting the city with northern Iraq’s Kurdish administration.

While Baghdad says Kirkuk is administratively dependent on Iraq’s central government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan -- an influential political party in the region -- wants to see the city incorporated into northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

- Flag controversy

"A decision which ignores the elements mentioned in the relevant provisions of the Constitution also violates the Constitution.

"We consider today's decision coming after raising the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) flag in public buildings as another example of unilateral initiatives and condemn it," the ministry added.

Last week, 26 Kurdish members of Kirkuk’s provincial assembly voted in favor of flying the KRG flag alongside Iraq’s national flag outside the city’s public buildings and institutions.

But on Saturday, the Iraqi parliament rejected the decision and voted in favor of flying only the Iraqi flag on Kirkuk's buildings.

Kirkuk Governor Najmiddin Karim, however, refused to apply the parliament’s decision to take down the KRG flag.

During the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kurdish Peshmerga forces seized Kirkuk, prompting an influx of Kurds into the city.

Kirkuk’s population is made mostly of Arab, Turkmen, and Kurdish residents.