The Iraqi Defense Ministry said on Friday that the implementation of the central governments decisions to take over all of Kurdistans border posts and airports was going as planned.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a non-binding referendum on secession from Iraq in defiance of Baghdads stiff opposition on September 25. Kurdish officials said over 90 percent of the voters said Yes to separation from Iraq.
PressTV-Iraqi Kurdistan defies world with independence vote
Iraqi Kurds are voting in a controversial independence referendum that has drawn massive objection at regional and international levels.
With the exception of the Israeli regime, all major regional and international parties have voiced serious concerns about the secessionist move, saying it would compound Iraqs problems asthe country is busy fighting the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.
After the referendum, the Baghdad government ordered the KRG to hand over its international airports in its capital of Erbil, and the city of Sulaimaniya, as well as its border crossings.
It also asked the KRG to either cancel the annul of the plebiscite or face potential sanctions, international isolation, and military intervention.
A ban on international flights into and out of the Iraqi Kurdish region also took effect on Friday.
The KRG has refused to either hand over the airports and land terminalsor annul the votes outcome.
The Iraqi Defense Ministry said the move to take over the borders would go underway in coordination with the relevant authorities and neighboring countries, and there is no delay in the procedures.
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Turkish soldiers conduct military exercises near the Habur crossing gate between Turkey and Iraq, in the Silopi district, southeastern Turkey, September 27, 2017. (Photo by AFP)[/caption]An Iraqi force has been deployed on the Turkish side of the border as part of joint drills with the Turkish army.
