Barzani says 'yes' vote won independence referendum, calls on Baghdad to engage in dialogue
Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani said on Tuesday the "yes" vote had won in the independence referendum the KRG held in northern Iraq on Monday.
In a televised adress, he called on Iraq's central government in Baghdad to engage in "serious dialogue (...) instead of threatening" the KRG with sanctions. Iraq's prime minister has ruled out holding talks on Kurdish independence.
"We may face hardship but we will overcome," Barzani said, calling on world powers "to respect the will of millions of people" who voted in the referendum.
