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Iraqi Kurdistan in historic independence vote Iraqi Kurdistan in historic independence vote
(about 3 hours later)
Voters are heading to the polls in a controversial independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. People are voting in a landmark referendum on independence for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that the international community has criticised.
Iraq's prime minister has warned he will take "necessary measures to preserve the unity of the country". Polls are open in the three northern provinces that make up the region, as well as disputed areas claimed by the Kurds and the government in Baghdad.
Western countries have expressed concern that the poll could provoke fresh conflict, and distract from the fight against so-called Islamic State. Iraq's prime minister has denounced the referendum as "unconstitutional".
But Kurds, who have long fought for their own state, have pressed ahead. The result, however, is non-binding. Kurdish leaders say an expected "yes" vote will give them a mandate to start negotiations on secession.
A Yes result is widely expected. Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but they have never obtained a permanent nation state.
Iraq has said the referendum must be suspended, but it cannot enforce that decision on the autonomous region. In Iraq, where they make up an estimated 15% to 20% of the population of 37 million, Kurds faced decades of repression before acquiring autonomy in 1991.
Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the vote was unconstitutional and threatened peace, adding: "We will take the necessary measures to preserve the unity of the country." Voting in the referendum is open to some 5.2 million Kurds and non-Kurds aged 18 or over who are registered as resident in Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Iraq.
He did not make clear which measures he intended to implement. Polling stations are expected to stay open until 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT). Initial results are expected within 24 hours, with final results announced later this week.
Later, his government demanded the Kurdish region hand over control of its international border posts. "We have been waiting 100 years for this day," one man queuing to vote at a school in the Kurdistan Region's capital, Irbil, told Reuters news agency.
It also urged other countries not to buy oil from the Kurdistan region, but instead to deal only with the government on "oil and borders". Oil is one of of the Kurdistan region's main exports. "We want to have a state, with God's help. Today is a celebration for all Kurds. God willing, we will say yes, yes to dear Kurdistan."
The leader of Iraqi Kurds, Massoud Barzani, says that independence is the only way to guarantee the safety of his people. In the disputed city of Kirkuk, which has large Arab and Turkmen populations and saw low-level clashes in the days leading up to the vote, mosque loudspeakers called on residents to vote, AFP news agency reported.
"When have we ever had stability and security that we should be concerned about losing it?" he told the BBC in a recent interview. "Those who are saying this are just looking for excuses to stop us." On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned that the referendum "threatens Iraq, peaceful co-existence among Iraqis, and is a danger to the region".
But he pledged that the referendum would not affect the fight against IS. "We will take measures to safeguard the nation's unity and protect all Iraqis."
What is the Kurdistan Region of Iraq? 'Sense of history in the making'
The autonomous region in the north is run by the Kurdistan Regional government, and it is formally recognised by Iraq's 2005 constitution. By Orla Guerin, BBC News, Irbil
That recognition came after decades of struggling for independence by the Kurdish population, who make up only 15-20% of the country's population. At polling stations here there is a sense of history in the making. Some began queuing last night. The Kurds say the referendum is an example of democracy in action. Instead of opposing them, they believe that Western powers should be giving them strong support.
In the wake of the first Gulf War, Kurdish leaders and armed forces consolidated their territory in northern Iraq, leading to the 2005 agreement. A man in his 60s, in traditional dress, told us people had been counting the months, days and minutes until they could cast their ballots. "It is the proudest moment of my life," he said.
It is the only place where the Kurdish people have formed their own government, despite many decades of armed struggle across four countries where its 30-40 million members live. Some came to vote carrying pictures of loved ones who were killed battling so-called Islamic state. "My husband's blood wasn't shed for nothing" said one woman, adding that her family had not slept for days, worrying that the referendum would be cancelled.
Iran and Turkey have also expressed concern that the independence referendum could provoke separatist movements among Kurds living in their own nations. Whatever comes next this vote could reshape the Middle East. That's just what neighbouring states - with their own Kurdish minorities - are afraid of.
In Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers' Party is considered a terrorist organisation, and it has been engaged in a decades-long armed struggle for an independent state. A linked group, PJAK, exists in Iran. The central government has demanded that all international airports and border crossings be returned to its control, and asked all countries to "deal only with it on matters of oil and borders".
But Kurdish fighters known as Peshmerga have been one of the most successful fighting forces against IS in Syria and Iraq. The United Nations, United States and United Kingdom have also expressed concern over the potentially destabilising impact of the referendum.
They are considered a US military ally, although Washington does not support the referendum - favouring a series of negotiations on the future relationship between Iraqi Kurds and Baghdad. The UN Security Council warned on Thursday that the vote could hamper the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, in which Kurdish forces have played a critical role, and efforts to ensure the return of 3 million displaced Iraqis.
Israel is the only nation to have openly supported the independence bid. Neighbouring Turkey, which has a sizeable Kurdish minority pushing for autonomy, said on Monday that it would view the results of the referendum as "null and void". However, it kept open the Kurdish oil export pipeline that crosses its territory.
The Kurdish people are a distinct ethnic group spread across Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. Iraqi Kurdistan's other neighbour, Iran, which has its own Kurdish populated region, has also denounced the vote.
Polls in the independence referendum will remain open for 12 hours, until 20:00 (17:00 GMT). Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani accused the international community of having double standards.
Analysis: Turkey's talk all for show? "Asking our people to vote in a peaceful way is not a crime," he said on Sunday. "If democracy is bad for us, why isn't it bad for everyone else?"
Mark Lowen, BBC News, Ankara Mr Barzani said the referendum would not draw borders, and that afterwards there could be talks with Baghdad for a year or two. But he stressed that the "failed partnership" with the "theocratic, sectarian state" of Iraq was over.
Turkey has called the referendum a "terrible mistake" and warned it could foment civil war.
Turkish tanks have been sent to the border with northern Iraq, and the parliament in Ankara has extended the mandate of Turkish troops to intervene in Iraq and Syria.
But the public condemnation is likely aimed more to please the government's nationalist support base -Kurdish insurgency in Turkey has killed 40,000 people since the 1980s.
Privately, Ankara is probably less hostile:
While Ankara has threatened sanctions over the referendum, oil exports have not stopped and Turkish Airlines continues flights.
It all suggests Turkey's rhetoric is partly for show and behind closed doors it simply wants stability and continuing bilateral relations, whatever the outcome of the referendum.