Turkey turned up the volume of its opposition to a planned referendum on Kurdish independence in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq today, warning the move could lead to civil conflict.
Comments from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu were among the strongest admonishments from Turkey to date as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) presses ahead with plans for the plebiscite, which is due to be held on Sept. 25. “In that country, which has been through so many problems, a referendum on independence can make the situation even worse. … God forbid, it could even bring civil war,” Cavusoglu said.