IRBIL, IRAQ October 27: Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on Tuesday claimed victory in the referendum vote for independence and called for a "dialogue" with Iraqi authorities, who have rejected the vote as unconstitutional.
"Instead of harassment, let's have dialogue for a better future," he said, adding, "Negotiations are the right path to solve the problems, not threats or the language of force."
On Monday, Iraqi Kurdish voted on an independence referendum that drew objection from the government in Baghdad, as well as neighboring countries and the United States.