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Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum

25 September 2017 (2017-09-25)
Do you want the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistani areas outside the administration of the Region to become an independent state?
Location of Iraqi Kurdistan in Iraq   Official borders of the Region of Iraqi Kurdistan   Territory captured by Iraqi Kurdistan during the 2014–present civil war   Other territory claimed by Iraqi Kurdistan   Rest of Iraq   Iraqi Kurdistan proper controlled by the Iraqi government
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 2,861,471 92.73% No 224,464 7.27% Valid votes 3,085,935 93.35% Invalid or blank votes 219,990 6.65% Total votes 3,305,925 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 4,581,255 72.16%
Preliminary official results

An independence referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan was held on 25 September 2017, with preliminary results showing the vast majority of votes cast in favor of independence. The semiautonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) stated that the referendum would be binding, but would trigger the start of state building and negotiations with Iraq rather than an immediate declaration of independence. The referendum's legality was rejected by the federal government of Iraq.

It was originally planned to be held in 2014 amidst controversy and dispute between the regional and federal governments. Calls for Kurdish independence had been going on for years, with an unofficial 2005 referendum resulting in 98% voting in favor of independence. These longstanding calls gained impetus following the Northern Iraq offensive by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant during the Iraqi Civil War in which Baghdad-controlled forces abandoned some areas, which were then taken by the Peshmerga and controlled de facto by the Kurds.

The referendum was announced and delayed on several occasions as Kurdish forces co-operated with the Iraqi central government for the liberation of Mosul, but by April 2017, it was being seen as happening some time in 2017. On 7 June 2017, Kurdish President Masoud Barzani held a meeting with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and other ruling parties, where the independence referendum was confirmed to be held on 25 September 2017.

Background

The Kurdistan Regional Government had criticised Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, claiming that his rule was divisive. After the central government began withholding funding to the Kurdistan Regional Government in January 2014, the KRG attempted to export oil via the northern pipeline into Turkey in May, but the Iraqi government lobbied international governments to block the export and sale of this oil.

As jihadis affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took control of much of western and northern Iraq in June 2014, the Iraqi military in those areas largely disintegrated and abandoned their positions. The Peshmerga stepped into this vacuum, taking control of the city of Kirkuk and other northern areas long claimed by the Kurdistan Regional Government but until then outside its formal control. In these disputed areas, Kurdish forces under the regional government spearheaded a “concerted campaign” to displace Arab communities in northern Iraq, actions that could amount to war crimes, according to a report by Amnesty International.

Nouri al-Maliki's government was widely blamed for the failure of the security forces and for Sunni Arab dissatisfaction with the central government, and international and domestic calls for a new prime minister became widespread. On 1 July, Kurdish president Masoud Barzani announced his intention to call a referendum on independence sometime in 2014 on the grounds that the country had been "effectively partitioned" already.

In September 2014, after Maliki was replaced as prime minister by Haider al-Abadi, Kurdish leaders agreed to postpone the referendum while they focused on the fight against ISIL.

On 3 February 2016, Rudaw.net reported that Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani told KRG legislators that the referendum would be held sometime before the 2016 American presidential election in early November. On 23 March, Barzani stated, in an interview with Al-Monitor media website, that the referendum would take place before October 2016. However, in late October, Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani confirmed that the referendum would not be held until after Mosul had been liberated.

In August 2016, Haider Al-Abadi said that he saw self-determination as an "undisputed right".

News reports from December 2016 stated that Iraqi Kurdistan’s Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani had suggested the region could push for independence from Baghdad once the ongoing battle to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was complete.

In early April 2017, as the liberation of Mosul was progressing, the ruling political parties of Iraqi Kurdistan, the KDP and PUK, announced their goal of holding an independence referendum in 2017.

On 7 June 2017, Kurdish President Masoud Barzani announced that the referendum would take place on 25 September 2017. Barzani's assistant Hemin Hawrami stated that the referendum will also take place in Kirkuk, Makhmour, Sinjar and Khanaqin regions. All of these areas are disputed and are claimed by the central government. Senior Kurdish official Hoshyar Zebari stated that a "Yes" vote in the referendum wouldn't mean an automatic declaration of independence, but will "strengthen the Kurds' hand" in talks on self-determination with the central government.

On three separate occasions, Assyrians from Alqosh protested against the removal of their mayor by the KDP-dominated Nineveh Provincial Council. The residents of Alqosh rejected the idea of their town being a "disputed area" and demanded the immediate reinstatement of their former mayor. The removal, which occurred two months before the referendum, caused protests because the mayor was replaced by a KDP member from Alqosh.

On 14 August, a delegation from the KRG met with Prime Minister Abadi and Vice-President Maliki in Baghdad to discuss the upcoming referendum and affairs between the KRG and Iraq. Romeo Hakkari, the Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac representative of the delegation and head of the Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party said that in addition to the meeting with Iraqi officials, they would meet with foreign missions in Baghdad.

The KRG has stated that referendum planning and implementation of the vote is up to the local councils of the disputed regions. The Shingal District Council expressed its support on 30 July for the KRG's efforts to include the Shingal area in the referendum. The Mayoral Council of Khanaqin on 16 August discussed the issue and decided to hold the referendum in their region. The Bashiqa Town Council voted the next day and decided to take part in the referendum.

After a rare high-level meeting between the Iranian military chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on 16 August, a joint statement "voiced strong opposition" to the referendum.

The local council of Mandali, whose population includes both Arabs and Kurds, had voted to in favour of including the town in the referendum on 17 August. Arab residents however protested against the decision on 10 September. A day later, the city council withdrew the decision of participation in the referendum while Mandali's mayor, Hoshiya Ismail, was dismissed from his position.

On 29 August, the Kirkuk Provincial Council voted on the issue of holding the referendum in Kirkuk. Of the 41 council members, 24 attended with 23 voting in favor of holding the referendum while one abstained. The remaining 17 members, all of whom were Turkmen and Arabs, boycotted the vote. On 14 September, the Iraqi parliament voted to dismiss Najmiddin Karim as the Governor of Kirkuk, a decision requested by al-Abadi after Kirkuk's provincial assembly voted to take part in the referendum. Karim however stated he will not follow the dismissal order and will stay in office. The provincial council meanwhile condemned the decision of the parliament with council head Ribwar al-Talabani claiming only the council had the power to remove him.

Campaigning for the referendum officially began on 5 September. The region's electoral commission has stated the campaigning would last for 18 days with the Iraqi Kurdish diaspora being able to vote on 23 September, two days ahead of the main poll.

The Iraqi parliament on 12 September rejected the referendum. The Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament approved a plan to hold the referendum on 15 September. 68 out of 111 lawmakers attended the session with Gorran boycotting it. Iraq's Supreme Court on 18 September ordered the suspension of the referendum to examine its constitutionality. Barzani however vowed to go ahead with the referendum.

Media coverage

It has been reported that pro-AKP news outlets in Turkey including Yeni Akit, Aksam, Internet Haber and Yeni Safak have been circulating a fake news story about “Zionist support” for an “insidious Kurdish plan” by Barzani and Kurdish Jews to settle 200,000 Jews in the region should Kurdistan become independent. The report has been disputed, including by Kurdish analysts, as baseless and fake news, and has been described as part of a media offensive by Turkey against Israel, while Kurdish analyst Diliman Abdulkader considers the reports an attempt to “destroy Kurdish credibility in the region by the association them with Israel and playing on local prejudices against people of Jewish faith”.

Turkey decided to remove broadcaster Rudaw Media Network (Rudaw), which is affiliated to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, from its satellite broadcasting on the same day voting took place on the independence referendum in the KRG.

Polling

One poll, held between 25 August and 27 August, which covered the provinces of Arbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, Halabja and Kirkuk, as well as the cities of Khanagin, Jalawla and Mandali within Diyala, showed intention to vote yes at 52.9%, intention to vote no at 25.6%, 3.6% not voting and the remainder of 17.9% being undecided with most of these indicating that they intended to vote yes but were also carefully watching the situation in case it deteriorated.

The ballot

The ballot was available in Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish and Syriac and presented the question, "Do you want the Kurdistan region and the Kurdistani areas outside the region's administration to become an independent state?" (the picture of the ballot)

Party stance

Parties represented in Kurdistan Region Parliament
Choice	Party			Seats	Leader	Political position	Ref.
Y Yes		KDP	Kurdistan Democratic Party	38	Masoud Barzani	Big tent
		PUK	Patriotic Union of Kurdistan	18	Jalal Talabani	Big tent
		KIU	Kurdistan Islamic Union	10	Salaheddine Bahaaeddin	Right-wing
		KSDP	Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party	1	Mohammed Haji Mahmoud	Centre-left
		KCP	Communist Party of Kurdistan – Iraq	1	Kamal Shakir	Far-left
		KTP	Kurdistan Toilers' Party	1	Balen Mahmoud	Left-wing
		KIM	Kurdistan Islamic Movement	1	Erfan Ali Abdulaziz	Big tent
		TDL	Turkmen Development List	2	Mohammad Sadaddin	Moderate Islamic
		CSAPC	Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council	2	Sarkis Aghajan	Minority-rights
		ETL	Erbil Turkmen List	1		Minority-rights
		KIG	Kurdistan Islamic Group	6	Ali Bapir	Big tent
		Gorran	Gorran Movement	24	Omar Said Ali	Centre-left
N No		ITF	Iraqi Turkmen Front (Will support referendum if conditions are met)	1	Erşad Salihi	Minority rights
		ADM	Assyrian Democratic Movement (Against referendum being held in the Nineveh Plains)	2	Younadam Kanna	Minority-rights

Referendum reactions

UN member states

Middle East

•  Iraq: Saad al-Hadithi, a spokesman for the Iraqi Prime Minister, said, "Any decision concerning the future of Iraq must take into account the constitutional provisions, it is an Iraqi decision and not one party alone. All Iraqis must have a say in defining the future of their homeland. No single party can determine the future of Iraq in isolation from the others."
•  Iran: The Iranian Government claimed that the unilateral referendum is inconsistent with the Iraqi constitution and that "the Islamic Republic of Iran’s principled and clear stance is supporting Iraq’s territorial integrity and coherence". Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said "Iran opposes holding talks of a referendum to partition Iraq and considers those who fuel the idea as opponents of Iraq's independence." Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Ali Khamenei on international affairs, said "President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani is a middleman for Zionists, who seeks to implement their plans for the division of Muslim states."
•  Israel: Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu states that Israel "supports the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to achieve their own state.”
•  Jordan: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stated that the referendum was an internal Iraqi affair.
•  Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated through the Saudi Press Agency " looks to the wisdom of President Barzani in not holding the referendum."
•  Syria: Adviser to the Council of Ministers Said Azzouz has stated that any unilateral action is rejected and that Syria cannot accept the division of Iraq. Furthermore, he stated that independence needed legal provisions from the Iraqi constitution.
•  Turkey: The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government's decision to hold an independence referendum was a "grave mistake". On 19 July 2017, Ambassador Hüseyin Müftüoğlu, in response to a question regarding the claims in the KRG press, claimed that they were distorting Turkey's position against the KRG's referendum decision. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said: "A decision by the authorities in the Kurdistan Region to hold a referendum on the independence of Kurdistan on September 25 is irresponsible". An AKP MP Mehmet Galip Ensarioğlu said: "People should respect the decision of the people of Kurdistan". The head of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahçeli, said, "Let us look at the national unity of our country, the Barzani gang would make a referendum on independence on September 25th, which is called disgrace, shame and betrayal." The left-wing Peoples' Democratic Party supported the referendum. President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the referendum wouldn't serve anyone's interests, calling it a threat to the territorial integrity of Iraq and expressed regret over it. On 14 September, the Foreign Ministry of Turkey warned Iraqi Kurdistan that it would "pay dearly" if the referendum was not abandoned. On 26 September, Erdoğan called the referendum decision "treachery" and stated that economic and military measures could be used against the Iraqi Kurds.

Other states

•  Australia: A spokeswoman for the foreign affairs department said in a statement, "Holding a referendum at this time risks causing further instability in Iraq that would weaken both the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan regional government".
•  Belgium: In an interview with NRT News after meeting Deputy Prime Minister of KRG Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Jan Jambon stated that all nations have the right to self-determination. Belgian ambassador to Iraq Hendrik Van de Velde stated that Belgium did not have an official stance on this issue.
•  Bulgaria: Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has stated that Bulgaria had listened to President Barzani when he visited the country in May 2017, but had no official stance on this issue.
•  Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remained neutral about the referendum process and did not get involved, citing the Quebec sovereignty issue. Trudeau, who was born in Quebec, said he is sensitive to other countries getting involved in another country's internal decisions and that he will respect the process established by the Kurds.
•  People's Republic of China: Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang expressed support to Iraq's territorial integrity but asked for an open dialogue in a daily news briefing.
•  France: President Emmanuel Macron stated, "If this referendum is held, I hope it leads to the proper representation of Kurds in government and within the framework of the Constitution."
•  Germany: Germany warned against Erbil making a unilateral decision in a "one sided" referendum.
•  Greece: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias stated that Iraq's unity should be desired by the people themselves and that the Kurdish referendum is a right under the Iraqi constitution.
•  Italy: The Kurdistan Region's representative to Italy Rezan Qader stated that Italian officials expressed their support for the Kurdish referendum in a meeting.
•  Netherlands: Dutch Consul General to Kurdistan Region Janet Alberda stated that the referendum would be more accepted, if it was coordinated with Baghdad.
•  Poland: Deputy Marshal of the Sejm Stanisław Tyszka stated that Poland would approve the referendum. Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski stated that he "perfectly understand the ambitions of Kurds", but urged Kurdish officials to cooperate with others.
•  Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the issue by stating that Russia understands the sensitivity around the Kurdish cause and that their position is that the referendum should be within international law.
•  Spain: The Spanish Foreign Ministry released a statement saying "This referendum is illegal in accordance with the Iraqi constitution of 2005, which received broad support from the population. Now all the people of Iraq must join forces to defeat ISIL once and for all, to build the country for the benefit of the entire population".
•  Sweden: Both governmental parties; the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party have expressed their support for the referendum. Opposition parties Sweden Democrats and the Left Party have also uttered their support.
•  United Kingdom: On behalf of the British government, British consul to Kurdistan Region Frank Baker stated that the United Kingdom recognises "the inalienable right of everybody around the world to be free and to decide on their own governments", but that it's not the right time for this. Furthermore, he stated that a referendum should be held with Iraqi consent. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson echoed the position, stating that "a referendum at this time will distract from the more urgent priorities of defeating Daesh, stabilising liberated areas and addressing the long-term political issues that led to Daesh’s rise".
•  United States: US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said: "We support a unified, stable and a federal Iraq. We appreciate and understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of the Iraqi Kurdistan." Nauert warned that the referendum could distract from the final defeat of ISIL. "We have expressed our concerns to the authorities in the Kurdistan Region, but holding a referendum even a non-binding resolution at this time would distract from urgent priorities and that be the defeat of ISIS, the stabilization, the return of displaced people, managing of the region's economic crisis, and resolving the region's internal political disputes," she said.

Other political parties in foreign states and autonomous regions

•  Catalonia: Artur Mas, leader of the Catalan European Democratic Party and former president of Catalonia, said that he supported Kurdistan's bid for independence and applauded Kurdistan's leadership for "defending democracy".
•  Kosovo: Visar Ymeri, the leader of the largest opposition party Vetëvendosje, stated: "Nobody has the right to deny the Kurdish people their will of being free and living in freedom and peace in solidarity with the other peoples of the world."
•  Québec: Members from the provincial opposition Parti Québécois, namely Stéphane Bergeron have expressed support for Kurdish people to express their right to self determination.

Regional actors

• Iraqi Communist Party uttered support for the referendum and stated that its "a fundamental right of the Kurdistan Region" to hold a referendum and hopes for Iraqi support.
• The Chieftain of the Arab tribe Jubur in Kirkuk has expressed support for the referendum and urged members of the tribe to vote yes.
• Iraqi Turkmen Front has stated that: "The referendum decision is clearly against the constitution. In addition, the participation of non-Kurdish regions in the referendum is unilateral and the Arabs', Turkmens' decisions are against the wishes of the Kurds." The Iraqi Turkmen Front also stated that they would not recognize the referendum. Iraqi Turkmen leader Arshad al-Salihi said: "Holding this referendum at such a sensitive time is dangerous, the ITF is deeply concerned about this. The Kurds could end up forfeiting the significant political and military gains they have achieved in recent years. Kurdish political parties don’t even seem to agree on the issue, while Kurdistan Islamic Group, along with the Movement for Change oppose the referendum altogether".
• Kurdistan Workers' Party: Cemîl Bayik: "Referendum a democratic right, no one should stand against it."
• President of the Iraqi National Accord Ayad Allawi warned Kurdistan Region "not to ponder separation".
• File:Majlislogo.jpg Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council: Loay Mikhael, a representative from the CSAPC stated that the council was supportive of the referendum as the Kurds have a right to self-determination. The council also calls for an Assyrian governed province in the Nineveh Plain to geographically join the KRG.
• Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party: Romeo Hakkari, leader of the Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party, has come in support for a Kurdish independent state while also maintaining a strong stance for a Christian governed province in the districts of Tel Keppe, Al-Hamdaniya and Al-Shekhan in the Nineveh Plain. He insists that there should be a separate referendum or option to elect for a Nineveh Plains province in the disputed area.
• Assyrian Democratic Movement: ADM has rejected the Kurdish referendum in the disputed area of the Nineveh Plain and instead calls for an Assyrian self-governed province part of Iraq.
• Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary General Saeb Erekat is opposed to Kurdish self-determination: “Kurdish independence would be a poisoned sword against the Arabs.”

Results

Totals

Referendum results

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	2,861,471	92.73
No	224,464	7.27
Valid votes	3,085,935	94.76
Invalid or blank votes	219,990	6.65
Total votes	3,305,925	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	4,581,255	72.16
Source: RudawKHEC

Aftermath

Following the referendum, the Kurdistan Regional Government started making plans for state building and future negotiations with Iraq before a declaration of independence would be issued. Iraq demanded that the Kurdistan Regional Government hand over control of its two international airports by 29 September or face a shutdown of international flights.

See also

• Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum, 2005
• Kirkuk status referendum
• Kurdish nationalism

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Further reading

• Zucchino, David (September 24, 2017). "Iraqi Kurds Will Vote on Independence, Recalling Tortured Past". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

v t e Elections and referendums in Kurdistan Region
Parliamentary elections	1992 2005 2009 2013 2018 2024
Presidential elections	1992 2009
Governorate elections	2005 2014
Municipal elections	2000 2001
Referendums	2005 2017 Kirkuk status
See also: Elections and referendums in Iraq

• Current events from September 2017
• 2017 in Iraqi Kurdistan
• 2017 referendums
• Independence referendums
• Kurdish separatism in Iraq
• Kurdistan independence movement
• Referendums in Iraqi Kurdistan
• September 2017 events in Asia
• 2017 in Iraq