U.S. President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday rejected a plan by Iraqi Kurds to hold an independence vote and called for "intense" talks, the White House has said.
"The two leaders reaffirmed their rejection of the planned Kurdistan Regional Government's referendum on September 25th, and the serious consequences that would follow if it occurs," the press release read.
"They called on Kurdish leaders to accept the process of intense negotiations on all outstanding issues which the United States and Turkey are prepared to endorse and support," it added.
UNSC SAYS INDEPENDENCE VOTE MAT DESTABILISE REGION
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is concerned the Kurdistan Regional Government’s independence vote on September 25 may destabilize Iraq, the UNSC said in a press release.
The security of three million refugees and internally displaced people will be placed at risk if the referendum proceeds to take place while the Islamic State terror group continues to operate in the region, the release said.
In June, Iraqi Kurdistan leader Masoud Barzani announced his intention to hold a referendum on the independence of the region from Iraq on September 25. Earlier on Thursday, Barzani’s media adviser said that authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan are ready to postpone the independence vote scheduled for Monday if the region gets certain political guarantees from Baghdad, Washington and the United Nations.
