BICOM

The Kurdish region in Iraq held a non-binding referendum on becoming an independent state, despite opposition from the Iraqi Government and many neighbouring countries.

Rudaw TV, based in the Kurdish regional capital Erbil, reported that the Independent Referendum Commission said 78 per cent of the more than five million eligible voters had cast a vote. The referendum is expected to deliver a comfortable “yes” and final results should be announced in 72 hours.

The referendum has been opposed by many states in the region . On Monday, the Iraqi parliament debated a motion to send troops into disputed areas south of Kirkuk that were contentiously included in the vote.

In a speech broadcast on state TV on Monday night, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said: “We are not ready to discuss or have a dialogue about the results of the referendum because it is unconstitutional”.

Iran has banned flights to the capital of the region Erbil and shut its airspace to flights to and from the city’s airport.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Israeli support for Kurdish independence affects his country’s relations with Israel. He also said that Turkey could cut a pipeline that allows the Iraqi Kurds to export oil to the outside world. Much of this is from the Kirkuk oil fields and generates significant revenue for the Kurdistan regional government.

Israeli politicians have been publicly supportive of the Kurdish drive for independence. Earlier this month Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel “supports the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to achieve a state of their own”.

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid tweeted yesterday: “The Jewish people know what it is to struggle for a homeland. The Kurds have a moral right to a state of their own. I wish them luck today.”

Writing for the Huffington Post  Zionist Union Knesset Member, Ksenia Svetlova, who heads the Knesset caucus that supports strengthening the ties between Israel and the Kurds said: “It is obvious that the time for Kurdish independence is now.”

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson expressed his regret that the referendum had taken place. He said: “The UK does not support this referendum and continues to back the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. We believe that any referendum should be agreed with the Government of Iraq. With our international allies, we proposed an alternative plan which would have seen negotiations take place between the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to address all issues of dispute. This alternative would have given the opportunity for the aspirations of the Kurdish people to be met. It is regrettable that a part of the Kurdish leadership rejected the proposal.”

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said: “The United States is deeply disappointed that the Kurdistan Regional Government decided to conduct today a unilateral referendum on independence, including in areas outside of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region”.