Alwaght- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country will not allow establishment of an independent Kurdish state in Iraq or Syria.
"If a Kurdish state is planned to be created in southern Turkey, we will not allow it," Erdogan said Saturday at the final press conference of G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg.
The Turkish leader added that Turkey does not support the idea of a divided Iraq and referendum would hurt the peace and stability in the country.
"Turkey cannot allow Iraq to be divided, if division starts in the north, it would extend to Turkmens, Arabs and even there can be a sectarian-based division between Shiites and Sunnis," he added.
On June 7, Masoud Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, announced the intention to hold a referendum on independence of the region on September 25.
The Turkish President also spoke against the US arming the PKK-linked Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) terror group reportedly combating ISIS in Syria's Raqqah. "We will never keep silent when support and arms are provided to terrorist organizations near our borders."
PKK militants have been leading a decades-long deadly war against Ankara in quest for an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey.
Erdogan added that Turkey will continue to respond to threats imposed on Turkey and not let a Kurdish state to be established in northern Syria. "We will not hesitate to use our legitimate right to defense against formations that threaten our country's security," he added.
Despite opposition by NATO ally Turkey, the US has been sending arms to Kurdish YPG group that is part of the larger so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which Washington considers its main proxy force fighting on the ground in Syria.
Turkey fears that the establishment of a Kurdish state in Iraq and Syria may encourage separatism amongst its own Kurds.
Erdogan also criticized Germany's decision not allow him to address Turkish people living in the country and accused Germany of supporting the terror group PKK while blocking his speech.
"Those who did not allow a democratically-elected president address his people cannot talk about freedom of speech," he said.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said a week before the G20 summit that Germany would reject a request by Erdogan to address Turkish citizens while attending the event.
Erdogan later criticized Germany for "committing [political] suicide" and called on Germany not to sacrifice relations between the two countries for the sake of a terror group [PKK].
