Will Iraq force Kurds to cancel referendum results?
Iraq orders international airlines to stop flying into its Kurdish region following a referendum vote on secession.
The government of Iraq is suspending all international flights to and from Erbil in its northern autonomous Kurdish region.
It’s a punitive measure after people in the area took part in a secession vote on Monday that Baghdad and other governments, including Turkey, have strongly opposed.
Almost 93 percent voted for the referendum.
But Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi‘s administration calls it unconstitutional. It’s also demanding full control of the region’s oil revenue and border crossings.
So, can Iraq’s central government stop a possible Kurdish state?
Presenter: Peter Dobbie
Guests:
Ahmed Rushdi – Director at House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation
Dlawer Ala-Aldeen – President of the Middle East Research Institute
Kamran Matin – Senior lecturer specialising in Kurdish studies at the University of Sussex