ISTANBUL, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday vowed not to allow a "terror state" to be established along the border with Turkey.
Turkey will announce measures against the independence vote by the Iraqi Kurdish region later this week, he said.
"This is an empty dream for them," Erdogan told an international meeting in Istanbul. "We can suddenly step in one night."
He referred to Turkey's last military operation in northern Syria, in which Ankara seized Jarablus, al-Rai and al-Bab from the Islamic State.
As the Iraqi Kurdish region relies heavily on Turkey for access to the outside world, the Turkish leader hinted at barring it from exporting gas via Turkey, the Iraqi Kurds' lifeline.
"When we close the valve, all will be finished," Erdogan said, noting "The entrance and exit will be closed" as well.
"We are taking every step regarding economic, commercial and security measures," he added, stressing that the Turkish army has not been launching a military exercise "for nothing" over the past few days in Silopi province bordering Iraq.
Despite opposition and threats from Turkey, Iran, the United States and others, Iraqi Kurds in the Kurdish autonomous region and other disputed territories went to the polls on the day for a referendum on whether to break away from Baghdad.
Erdogan described the move as "outright opportunism" in light of the current situation in the region.
"Turkey does not recognize the referendum and would view it as null and void. It is illicit," he said, stressing northern Iraq is the living area for Arabs and Turkmens as well.
