Iraqi Kurdish Parliament Has Approved An Independence Referendum On Sept 25

General view of the Kurdistan Parliament meeting in Erbil, Iraq September 15, 2107. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

BBC: Kurdish MPs say yes to independence referendum

The Iraqi Kurdish parliament has voted to back a planned referendum in the face of opposition from across the globe.

The Kurdistan Regional Government, sitting for the first time in two years, backed the 25 September vote on Friday.

Iraq's central government rejected the referendum as unconstitutional on Tuesday.

Iran, Turkey and the US also object to the vote, fearing further instability.

There had been calls for it to be postponed, if not cancelled.

Of the 111 MPs who sit in the regional parliament, 65 voted to go ahead with the plan.

However, more than 40 did not attend the sitting, according to local media. A number of opposition MPs had said they were planning to abstain.

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More News On The Iraqi Kurdish Parliament Approving An Independence Referendum On Sept 25

Kurdish parliament votes to move ahead with referendum -- Washington Post/AP
Iraq Kurd MPs approve independence referendum -- AFP
Iraq's Kurdish parliament backs Sept 25 independence referendum -- Reuters
Iraqi Kurdish parliament backs independence referendum -- Al Jazeera
Kurdistan parliament approves independence referendum on Sept 25 -- RUDAW

Reaction And Commentary On The Iraqi Kurdish Parliament Approving An Independence Referendum On Sept 25

Ankara Threatens Sanctions Against Iraqi Kurds Over Independence Vote -- Voice of America
Iraqi Kurdistan's Independence Referendum May Provoke New Conflict - Turkish PM -- Sputnik International
Iran, Turkey Concerned Over Iraqi Kurdish Referendum -- Financial Tribune
Iraq parliament rejects Kurdish independence referendum -- Al Jazeera
Western pressure mounts on Iraqi Kurds to halt referendum -- Financial Times
Israel Endorses Kurdish Independence in Lone Show of Support -- Bloomberg
The Kurdish independence vote will have major repercussions for the Middle East -- Think Progress
OPEC's second-biggest producer could possibly split in two — and start an oil war -- Sam Meredith, CNBC