WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement on Friday that the United States Government does not recognize the referendum for independence held earlier in the week by the Kurdistan Regional Government.
He also urged all groups with a stake in referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan's independence to reject the use of force.
"We urge calm and an end to vocal recriminations and threats of reciprocal actions," Tillerson stated. "The United States asks all parties, including Iraq’s neighbors, to reject unilateral actions and the use of force."
27 September 2017, 16:31 GMT
On Monday, the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan's independence took place in the autonomous region as well as in the number of areas officially controlled by Iraqi authorities. According to the Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission, 92.7 percent of voters supported the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan from Baghdad. The independence vote has been widely criticized not only by Iraq itself, but by Turkey, Iran, the United States and the United Nations.
