On Tuesday 26 September, a spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) called for calm, restraint and dialogue in Iraq, after a referendum on independence was held by the Kurdish government on 25 September.
The provisional results indicate that more than 90% of voters in Iraqi Kurdistan support independence for the region and the turnout was more than 72%.
"The EU appeals to all parties to exercise calm and restraint and to make a renewed commitment to resolve all pending issues across the political and economic spectrum through a peaceful and constructive dialogue leading to a mutually agreed solution within the framework of the Iraqi Constitution", the EEAS spokesperson said in a press release, adding that the European Union is prepared to back such dialogue. The UN has offered to mediate, but this has been rejected by the Kurdish president, Massoud Barzani (see EUROPE 11866).
The EEAS spokesperson stated that "the EU has consistently confirmed its full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. It therefore appealed for the referendum not to be held in this unilateral manner, and especially not in disputed areas. It regrets that these calls have not been heeded". The referendum was held in the autonomous region of Kurdistan, which includes the provinces of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Dohuk, and also in areas which the Kurds and central government dispute. The government in Baghdad has passed a resolution calling on the commander-in-chief of the army, Haider al-Abadi, to deploy forces in all the disputed areas. Abadi will be in parliament on Wednesday to discuss decisions he might take about the Kurdistan crisis.
According to the EEAS spokesperson, "Iraqi unity remains essential in order to face the remaining threat posed by Da'esh, the daunting task of reconstruction in the liberated areas, and the essential challenge of building a stable, secure, inclusive and prosperous Iraq in the interest of all Iraqi people". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)