Focus on Kurdish referendum as Erdogan leaves for US

The parliament of Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan voted Friday in favour of holding a referendum on September 25, alarming neighbouring Turkey which has a large Kurdish minority.
“We will not say 'yes, go ahead' if you unfortunately turn this approach into a step towards Iraq's division,” Erdogan added.
Erdogan said he will raise the Kurdish referendum issue in separate meetings with US President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in New York.
“As far as I can see, we look in the same direction. That is the indivisible integrity of Iraq,” Erdogan said in reference to al-Abadi.
Both Washington and Baghdad reiterated their opposition to Kurdish regional government's independence referendum.
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