Khamenei condemns Kurdistan’s referendum as ‘treason’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran’s Supreme Leader has described Kurdistan’s independence referendum as an act of “treason” that must be confronted. 

Ayatollah Khamenei made his comments in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran on Wednesday. 

“Iran and Turkey should take every possible step in confronting this (referendum); and the Iraqi government must also seriously decide on it and act,” he said, according to his website. 


He asserted that the referendum was a Zionist plot that benefits the United States. 

Erdogan is in Iran discussing Kurdistan’s referendum as well as bilateral relations. They have agreed to increase economic cooperation as well as joining forces to address major issues in the Islamic world.

The Turkish leader met with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani earlier in the day. In a joint news conference they vowed to isolate the Kurdistan Regional Government if they pushed forward towards independence.