Boroujerdi: KRG must quickly nullify referendum results

Head of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi made the remarks upon arrival in Syrian capital Damascus on Tuesday night, adding “the referendum was a strategic mistake, and if KRG authorities insist on splitting from Iraq, the Kurdistan region will suffer from numerous political, economic and military issues.”

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has demanded Kurdistan region cancel the results of the referendum as a pre-condition for talks, urging the Kurdish leadership to act within the framework of the constitution.

Turkey’s army chief Hulusi Akar in a meeting with Iranian Minister of Defense Hatami in Tehran also warned that Turkey would impose severe economic, political and military sanctions on KRG if the Kurdish region did not retreat from its separatist plan.

About his agenda for visiting Syria, Boroujerdi said he will extend Iranian Parliament Speaker’s message to Syria’s newly-appointed Speaker of the People’s Council of Syria, Hammouda Sabbagh.

“Given the expansion of Syrian government’s control over various parts of the country in the light of the defeat of terrorists, we are hoping to have diplomatic visits to cities other than Damascus in the near future,” he said.

“Ever since Aleppo’s liberation, the dominance of ISIL and other terrorists has been dwindling in Syria, despite US’s direct and indirect support to the terrorists,” he said. “The victories of the Syrian army, popular and Resistance forces, as well as Iran’s help and the valuable role of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, have all helped Syria pass through the danger zone.”

Stressing that the defeat of terrorists indicates the defeat of US and its regional allies in Syria, Boroujerdi added “the developments in Syria are of utmost importance and we hope that the country would soon make its way toward sustainable security and reconstruction.”