ANKARA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Monday that Ankara will now only be in contact with the Iraqi central government on matters of oil, airports and borders after the Kurdish independence referendum in northern Iraq.
Speaking in a televised interview with local broadcaster CNN Turk, Yildirim said Ankara is evaluating steps regarding its border gates and air space in response to the Iraqi Kurdish referendum being held on Monday.
The prime minister said that the Turkish military drill ongoing near its Iraqi and Syrian border in the past week was regarded as precaution measures.
Iraqi forces will also join the military exercises near its border, he said, adding that Turkey are now working in coordination with Baghdad in the face of any "possibility," and would provide support to Baghdad if requested.
Yildirim noted that Turkey would "not go to war," but they were taking cross-border precautions on issues of importance to the country.
He stressed that the Kurdistan Regional Government's independence referendum is "illegitimate" and will be declared "null and void," warning that the move will only worsen the existing chaos and instability in the country.
