ANKARA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Thursday that there would be a cost if the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq insisted on holding the independence referendum.
"The KRG should be aware that there will most certainly be a price to pay for insisting on its approach for a referendum despite all our friendly recommendations," the ministry said in a statement.
"We are calling on the KRG to act with common sense and to give up its mistaken approach as soon as possible," it added.
Turkey also welcomed the Iraqi parliament's decision to reject the KRG independence referendum slated for Sept. 25.
Iraq's parliament voted on Tuesday in opposition to the referendum, authorizing the prime minister to take all measures to preserve Iraq's unity.
The decision was a clear expression of the importance of Iraq's political unity and territorial integrity, the Turkish ministry said.
Turkey also called on Baghdad and Erbil to resolve the dispute through "dialogue" and conduct ties based on constitution and justice.
Since the KRG announced its plan to hold the referendum, most Western powers, including the United States and EU, have voiced concerns that the poll could ignite a new round of conflict between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan, threatening regional stability and distracting from the fight against terrorism.
