US does not recognize Kurdistan regional government’s unilateral independence referendum, said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday.
United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that Washington “does not recognize” the Kurdish independence referendum held earlier in the week and called on Iraqi Kurds to respect the government in Baghdad. However, he urged the Iraqi government not to use force against Kurds.
“We urge Iraqi Kurdish authorities to respect the constitutionally-mandated role of the central government and we call upon the central government to reject threats or even allusion to possible use of force,” Tillerson stated. He noted it is necessary for both sides to avoid “instability” in the region as that would only bring a setback in the country’s fight against the Islamic State.
On Monday, Iraqi Kurds voted in favor of gaining independence from Baghdad with 92% backing the “yes” option. Iraqi government banned all flights to and from the Kurdish cities of Erbil and Sulaimaniyah and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called for the vote to be annulled.
