Today's Kurdish referendum, towards independence or war?

Despite fierce opposition from Turkey and Iran, the Kurdish population under the leadership of Mesut Barzani has made the decision not to back down from the referendum vote, thus adding dilemmas on what happens if the population votes for an independent state that will be called Kurtistan.

While such a state will mean war with Turkey as it has adopted the bill that will give the Turkish Army the right to intervene in Iraq in the assembly.

Even today, Turkey's Foreign Ministry in a media statement has indicated they will not recognise the referandum.

Also as soon as the vote began Turkey has closed its border checkpoint with Iraq.

The Kurdish population that has been divided into Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran has been continuing efforts to establish a Kurdish state since the Ottoman Empire was disbanded. The Kurds were the only ones who could not create their own country after the breakup of the empire.