Turkey won't allow fait accompli in northern Iraq: Deputy PM

Turkey will not allow any fait accompli in northern Iraq, a senior government official has said, vowing all necessary measures will be taken against the independence referendum to be held by the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sept. 25. 

"Turkey will not allow fait accompli in northern Iraq. The world stood up, we stood up [against the referendum]. Arabs and Turkmens rejected and even Kurds in the region are against it," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ said at a ceremony marking the start of the academic year at Bozok University in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat on Sept. 19. 

Despite massive opposition from the world as well as the United Nations, the "sick mentality" in northern Iraq seems to be determined in holding the referendum, Bozdağ said. "I speak very clearly: These kinds of steps in the region will ruin regional security and will shatter comfort, peace and stability. Not only the region but all countries in the region will be negatively affected by it and no anybody can tolerate this," he added. 

Recalling that Turkey has always supported the KRG until now through good neighborly relations amid economic stability, he stressed it will continue to do so if Arbil moves with good intentions. 

"But if they go ahead to hold the referendum despite all these warnings, then it will surely be responded to. Our president has declared: 'We will hold our cabinet meeting right after the National Security Council on Friday [Sept. 22] and will announce our last steps to the world," he said. 

Turkey will not tolerate steps that would endanger its security and future, he vowed, "We'll take all necessary measures to this end and implement them decisively." 

Turkey began a military drill along its...