An overwhelming 'yes' vote: Kurds

Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani said on Tuesday that Kurds had voted "yes" to independence in a referendum held in defiance of the government in Baghdad and which had angered their neighbours and their US allies.

The Kurds, who have ruled over an autonomous region within Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, consider Monday's referendum to be an historic step in a generations-old quest for a state of their own.

Iraq considers the vote unconstitutional, especially as it was held not only within the Kurdish region itself but also on disputed territory held by Kurds elsewhere in northern Iraq.

The United States, major European countries and neighbours Turkey and Iran strongly opposed the decision to hold the referendum, which they described as destabilising at a time when all sides are still fighting against Daesh militants.

In a televised address, Barzani said the "yes" vote had won and he called on Iraq's central government in Baghdad to engage in "serious dialogue" instead of threatening the Kurdish Regional Government with sanctions.

The Iraqi government earlier ruled out talks on Kurdish independence and Turkey threatened to impose a blockade. "We may face hardship but we will overcome," Barzani said, calling on world powers "to respect the will of millions of people" who voted in the referendum.

Source: Khaleej Times