Iran could change position on referendum under two conditions: PUK official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Tehran's opposition to the Kurdistan Region independence referendum could change if Iraqi Kurds "solve their internal issues," said a Kurdish official who recently visited Iran.

On Sunday, a high-level delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the third largest party in the Kurdistan Region,  met with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Erbil to discuss the latest development on the independence referendum scheduled for Sep. 25, 2017, and the re-activation of Parliament.

The PUK delegation recently visited Tehran and met with Iranian officials to discuss the upcoming vote. In its meeting with the KDP, the PUK passed on Iran’s position and views on the referendum.

“Iran has told us that Tehran could change its mind on the Kurdistan Region's referendum should the Kurds in the Region solve their internal divisiveness, as well as alleviate foreign concerns regarding the referendum,” a PUK official who was part of the delegation told Kurdistan 24 on condition of anonymity.

Iran is one of the neighboring nations who strongly oppose the referendum and the splitting up of Iraq, calling for a united country.

The timing of the referendum and temporary dismantlement of the Kurdistan Region's Parliament are one of the main concerns some of the Kurdish parties and foreign countries have regarding the vote.

The re-activation of Parliament was one of the main topics in the meeting between the PUK and the KDP, according to Kurdistan 24 Correspondent Aras Ahmed.

Kurdish senior officials have recently stated issues with the timing of the referendum are related to the interests of parties and foreign governments opposing the votes.

“We have been waiting for decades.  If now is not the right time, when is it?” the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani has previously stated.

For Kurds throughout history, independence has been a long-awaited dream. Kurdish officials have said Baghdad does not abide by the Constitution of Iraq and treats people from the Kurdistan Region as a "second-class citizen," which ultimately led the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to move toward secession.

Editing by G.H. Renaud

(Aras Ahmed contributed to this report)