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| Iraq |
| Iraq imposes flight ban on Kurdish region after poll |
| 2017-09-30 |
| [Al Jazeera] A ban on international flights into Iraq's Kurdish region has gone into effect after the central government in Baghdad retaliated against a vote for secession that has also drawn opposition from neighbouring countries. Iraq's Kurds overwhelmingly backed a split from Baghdad in a referendum on Monday, defying foreign powers which fear the vote could lead to regional instability. The ban came into force at 6pm (15:00 GMT) on Friday. Foreign airlines suspended flights to the region's Erbil and Sulaimaniya, obeying a notice from the government in Baghdad, which controls Iraqi air space. Domestic flights are still allowed, so travellers are expected to travel to Kurdistan mostly via Baghdad's airport, which will come under strain from the extra traffic. Erbil airport was busier than usual on Friday as passengers scrambled to catch the last flights out. Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from Erbil International Airport, said: "We saw many people throughout the day leaving ahead of schedule simply because they were afraid to be blocked here and not be able to return to their homes, or because they did not want to go through Baghdad to catch an international flight". US ‘does not recognize’ Iraqi Kurdistan referendum: Tillerson [Iran Press TV] The United States does not officially recognize a unilateral independence referendum held by the Iraqi Kurdish region, says Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The controversial secession referendum was held on Monday in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in defiance of widespread calls for its cancellation. According to Kurdish officials, over 90 percent of the voters said ’Yes’ to separation from Iraq. "The United States does not recognize the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s unilateral referendum held on Monday. The vote and the results lack legitimacy and we continue to support a united, federal, democratic and prosperous Iraq," Tillerson said in a statement on Friday. |
| Posted by:Fred |