The autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan celebrated the referendum on independence, amid local tension and international fear of another regional conflict. The polling stations closed at 18 pm Italian time, an hour after what was initially expected, and according to the latest official data on the turnout of 17 pm, the participation was 78%. The prediction is that the yes to independence will easily win. Voting took place in four Kurdish provinces (Dohuk, Erbil, Suleimaniya, Halabja) and in the disputed provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala and Nineveh, that is, in autonomous Kurdistan and in areas effectively controlled by Kurdish peshmerga forces. In total 5,3 million Kurds were called to vote in the non-binding vote, in addition to about 150000 from the diaspora, who expressed their preferences from 23 September with an electronic system. The Kurdish High Electoral Commission has not revealed when the results of the consultation will be announced, but according to various international observers this will happen within 24 or 48 hours of the closing of the polls. On the ballots, whose counting began shortly after the polls closed, voters chose between 'Yes' and 'No' when asked in Kurdish, Arabic, Turkmen and Assyrian: "Do you want the Kurdistan region and the Kurdish areas out from the administration of the region become an independent state? ”. The day, which was festive throughout the region, passed without incident and the Spanish observers sent to the region described a "festive atmosphere." The referendum raised tension between the Erbil and Baghdad governments, as well as with neighboring countries Iran and Turkey, which strongly rejected the consultation. The international community has done the same, which sees the vote as a new source of instability in the Middle East. The Baghdad parliament asked the premier, Haidar al Abadi, to deploy security forces in disputed areas, as well as the closure of land crossings, a deputy said, the day after Baghdad said it would not recognize the results. of the vote "of secession". Iran has announced a ban on flights to and from Kurdistan, while Baghdad has asked third countries to stop direct oil trade with Kurdish regions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to cut off the flow of the pipeline that carries oil from northern Iraq to the outside of the country and has threatened military intervention. Joint military maneuvers between Iraq and Turkey have also begun at the common border. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, expressed support for "the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Iraq", warning that the referendum could have "destabilizing effects".
