'Northern Iraqi Kurdish govt must lower flag in Kirkuk'

By Humeyra Atilgan Buyukovali

ZONGULDAK, Turkey

Turkey's president Tuesday slammed northern Iraq's Kurdish administration for flying its flag at public buildings in Kirkuk, saying it should take it down at once or see ties with Turkey suffer.

"I find it totally wrong that a second flag has been raised in Kirkuk alongside the national flag [of Iraq]," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak, saying that flying the regional government flag "encourages separatism."

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony, Erdogan said the Kurdistan Regional Government should "correct its mistake" and “take the flag down immediately,” warning that relations with Turkey could sour if they do not.

Erdogan also strongly rejected the idea that the city belongs to the Kurds only, saying, "Kirkuk belongs to Turkmens, Arabs, Kurds, and all who live there."

Turkish FM criticizes decision to hold referendum in Kirkuk

Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also criticized a decision to hold a referendum on the future of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

While Baghdad says Kirkuk is administratively dependent on Iraq’s central government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan -- an influential political party in the region -- wants to see the city incorporated into northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

The Kirkuk Provincial Council on Tuesday voted to hold a referendum.

In a session boycotted by Arab and Turkmen members, the council overwhelmingly chose to conduct the referendum on uniting the city with northern Iraq’s Kurdish area.

"They need to know that the Kirkuk Turkmen are not alone, and will not be alone. We will not allow this to happen,” Cavusoglu said, describing the move as “not good for the future of Iraq and the regional [Kurdish] government”.

During the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kurdish Peshmerga forces seized Kirkuk, prompting an influx of Kurds into the city.

Kirkuk’s population is mainly composed of Arab, Turkmen and Kurdish inhabitants.