Turkish presidential aide: call for independence referendum in northern Iraq 'wrong'

Turkish presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin has described Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government President Masoud Barzani’s statement about holding an independence referendum in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region as a “wrong step”.

Speaking at a press conference in the presidential complex in Ankara on Friday, Kalin said: “We think this will be a wrong step.”

Iraq is going through a delicate period and the fight against Daesh is ongoing, he said, noting that Turkey’s fight against the PKK is also continuing.

“We do not think bringing this issue on the agenda is correct, at a time when there are several security risks at the highest levels,” Kalin said.

On Thursday, Barzani said an independence referendum will be carried out in the “near future”.