ANKARA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesperson Bekir Bozdag said early Saturday the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum should be completely cancelled, ruling out any postponement.
"The referendum slated for Sept. 25 is a direct threat against Turkey's national security," Bozdag said in a press conference after the cabinet meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex in Ankara, private news channel NTV reported.
"The vote is illegitimate and unacceptable. It should be completely cancelled, not postponed," he stressed.
The spokesperson said that there would be serious consequences if the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) insisted on the mistake, urging to cancel the referendum "in a way that will not be repeated again."
"Turkish government's stance is clear and determined," Bozdag said, adding that "all options are on the table."
Earlier Friday, Turkey's National Security Council warned northern Iraq against holding a referendum on independence, saying such a move would create "grave results."
