The High Elections and Referendum Commission said on Wednesday that more than 92.73 percent of voters supported the idea of Iraqi Kurdistan's independence from Baghdad.
The voter turnout was 72 percent, with 3.35 million people taking part in the referendum, according to official data. Some 2.8 million people voted for independence, while only 224,000, — or 7.2 percent — voted against it.
The chairman of the election commission stated that the results of the referendum are legitimate and no violations were registered during the vote.
"We carried out our work in all parts of Kurdistan. The process was very successful. Many international observers participated. The referendum was held without violations," the commission's spokesman said at a press conference.
Baghdad also decided to ban flights to and from the airports of the autonomous region starting on Friday.
Iraqi Kurdistan made the decision to hold the independence referendum in June. Following the announcement, the Iraqi government, as well as a number of foreign countries, including Turkey and the United States, have criticized the move.
