Turkey’s foreign minister arrived in Iraq on Wednesday to hold talks in both Baghdad and Erbil as Kurdistan’s regional government (KRG) prepares to hold an independence vote on September 25.

Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to meet with Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari, president Fuad Masum, and prime minister Haider Al Abadi in Baghdad.

He is then scheduled to visit Erbil, where he will hold talks with the Kurdish president Masoud Barzani.

Combating terrorism and the Kurdish referendum are thought to be on top of the agenda.

Turkey warned Iraq’s Kurdish leaders last week of the risk of civil war if they proceed with plans to hold a referendum on independence.

“In a country like Iraq, which has been through so many problems, a referendum on independence … God forbid, it could even bring it to civil war,” Mr Cavusoglu told Turkish state broadcaster TRT last week.

In June, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly criticised the referendum plan, calling it “an error” and “a threat” to Iraq’s territorial integrity.

Source: thenational.ae