Alwaght- Iraq's parliament has granted permission to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to the Kurdish-held region of Kirkuk and take control of its oil fields.
"The government has to bring back the oilfields of Kirkuk under the control of the oil ministry," the resolution voted by parliament states.
It also calls on Abadi to "issue orders for the security forces to deploy in the disputed areas, including Kirkuk."
The order comes after a Kurdistan independence referendum in which the majority of Kurds voted "yes," according to Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani.
The vote has been deemed illegal and "unconstitutional" by Baghdad.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Wednesday demanded that Kurdish authorities "cancel" the outcome of the referendum, as a condition for dialogue to resolve the crisis.
In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, the prime minister renewed his ultimatum to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to hand over control of international airports by Friday or face a ban on direct international flights to the Kurdish region.
"We won't have a dialogue about the referendum outcome," Abadi said during his speech. "If they want to start talks, they must cancel the referendum and its outcome."
Barzani has stressed that the referendum result is not binding, but is instead aimed at promoting negotiations with Baghdad and neighboring countries over a peaceful succession of the region from Iraq.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the referendum on support for independence for Iraqi Kurdistan next door risks sparking an "ethnic war" in the region.
In a speech at the presidential palace in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdogan reiterated that all options, including the military, are on the table to protect Turkey's security.
Iran, for its part, has announced that it is opposed to the “unilateral” scheme for the independence of the Iraqi Kurdistan, underlining the importance of maintaining the integrity and stability of Iraq and insisting that the Kurdistan region is part of the country.
