ANKARA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey objected on Wednesday against a planned referendum for independence by Kurds in northern Iraq, saying it could lead to civil war.
"The independence referendum will lead to a worse situation in the country, even might lead to civil war," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a televised interview.
The Turkish government expects Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government to change its mind about an independence referendum set for September 25, the minister said.
The minister also said that Russia's military chief would visit Turkey for discussions on developments in Syria's Idlib province, where jihadists linked to a former al-Qaeda affiliate have taken control.
Turkey opposes the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan, saying it would threaten the integrity of Iraq. Turkish government also sees that such a step would threaten Turkey's territorial integrity, as larger populations of Kurds live in the country.
