Iraqi Kurdistan to vote on independence 'within months'
Iraqi Kurdistan will hold an independence referendum within months, President Massoud Barzani said on Tuesday, as the region reels under a brutal offensive by Sunni jihadists who have declared an Islamic caliphate.
Barzani said the time was right for a vote as Iraq was already effectively partitioned following the lightning gains by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
During an interview with the BBC he said "We can't experiment with our fate for another 10 years, we can't remain hostage to an unknown future indefinitely."
Asked whether the vote would take place soon, Barzani added: "I can't fix a date right now but definitely it's a question of months. But of course it must be decided by parliament."
The region would need to establish an independent electoral authority before a vote could take place, Barzani noted.
More than 2,000 people have died so far in the push by IS, which Iraq's security forces have struggled to combat.
There have already been mixed reactions to the idea that Kurdistan may seek it's independence from Iraq.
Regional power Turkey said on Monday that it was against Iraq's Kurdistan region splitting away from Baghdad, after Sunni militants seized a vast swathe of territory in Turkey's conflict-torn neighbour.
US State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki said Monday that the US is not supportive of an independent Kurdistan in Iraq and called for all countries to support efforts for unity.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called for independence for Iraq's Kurdistan region, where Kurdish peshmerga security forces have mobilised to fight against IS.
Barzani said that he hoped this state would have good relations with all its neighbours and said they would not be a threat to anyone.
Barzani said the next step will be for the establishment of an independent electoral authority in Kurdistan and then parliament to fix the date for the referendum.
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