UPDATE - Turkish, Iraqi forces reach border crossing on Iraqi side

UPDATES WITH REVISED HEADLINE, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Simal Muldur and Ekrem Payan

SIRNAK, Turkey (AA) - Turkish and Iraqi military forces have reached the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing between Turkey’s southeastern province of Sirnak and northern Iraq, with Iraqi forces due to take control of the gate from the the northern Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

The Erbil-based KRG is expected to hand over control of the gate on the Iraqi side of the border -- which faces the Habur gate, on the Turkish side -- in the coming hours, with the KRG flag at the crossing replaced by the flag of Iraq's central government.

Troops of both countries, who have been holding a joint military drill since mid-September, early on Tuesday advanced towards the Habur gate from the Turkish side along with tanks and armored vehicles, and then crossed through the gate to the Iraqi side of the border controls, the Ibrahim Khalil gate.

The twin gates have been closed to crossings from both sides since this morning due to the ongoing military drill.

The central government in Baghdad has sought to take control of the Ibrahim Khalil gate, which has been under the control of the KRG forces.

On Sept. 25, northern Iraq's KRG held an illegitimate referendum on independence for the region.

It was broadly opposed by the international community, including Turkey, as well as Baghdad, which pointed out that the poll was unconstitutional.