Iraq Business News brings you the latest Iraqi politics news, keeping you up to date with the latest information and developments.
By John Lee. Direct international flights will be suspended to and from Erbil International Airport (pictured) starting from Friday evening, following a decision by the Iraqi cabinet and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, an airline official has told Xinhua. The move follows the region's vote for independence in Monday's referendum. Airlines including Qatar Airways, EgyptAir and […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission, yesterday announced the results of the Kurdistan independence referendum. In a press conference, Hndren Muhammad, the head of the Commission, announced an overwhelming victory of Yes in the referendum and provided the following preliminary figures: Eligible voters: 4,581,255. Turnout: 3,305,925 voted in the referendum, […]
By John Lee. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (pictured) has threatened to invade Iraq, and said he could cut off the oil export pipeline from Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, following the vote supporting independence in Iraqi Kurdistan. "We have the tap," he said. "It is done once, we close the tap." The […]
Initial results for the Kurdish independence referendum show that around 95 percent of people voted in favour of separation from Iraq and the formation of an independent Kurdistan state. According to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG), the first exit polls show that 95 percent of voters said ‘yes’ while around 5 percent said voted against. […]
Voters in Iraqi Kurdistan and the disputed areas under Kurdish control have started to cast their ballots on whether to split from the rest of Iraq and become an independent state, according to Kurdish media reports early on September 25. Reports claimed that voters had been queuing for hours before polling stations opened at 0800 […]
By John Lee. Iran has reportedly closed its airspace to all flights originating in Iraqi Kurdistan. It's state-run IRNA news agency said on Sunday that the move followed a request from Baghdad. In a separate development, an Iranian official has been quoted as saying that plans are in progress for direct flights between Erbil and […]
By Fazel Hawramy for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A few days ahead of the Kurdistan referendum on independence, an ethnic clash took place between a group of Kurds and Turkmens in Kirkuk on Sept. 19. Local police deployed in different parts […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Kurdistan region is pushing ahead with an independence referendum next Monday despite pressure to call it off. President Masoud Barzani remains defiant, but many Kurds are worried about the consequences of the […]
The United Nations Security Council today expressed concern over the “potentially destabilizing impact” of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s plans to unilaterally hold a referendum next week. In a statement issued to the press, members of the Council noted that the planned referendum is scheduled to be held while operations to counter Islamic State of Iraq […]
This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Kurdistan is in the spotlight and the international media are reporting on the upcoming independence referendum, far and wide. But a focus on international opposition, means that important context […]
By Fazel Hawramy for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Mlitary commanders and diplomats from both Iran and the United States are swarming Iraqi Kurdistan in a last-ditch attempt to convince the Kurds, an important ally in the war against the Islamic State […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Prime Minister says he is prepared to use military force if a planned referendum on Kurdish independence turns violent. The Kurds in Iraq have come under increasing pressure from regional powers and […]
