Turkish deputy PM: Barzani should own up to mistakes

By Sarp Ozer

ANKARA

Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Bekir Bozdag on Monday said Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) leader should start to deal with his mistakes following his resignation announcement.

KRG President Masoud Barzani announced Sunday he would not participate in the Nov. 1 presidential election.

Speaking at the Cabinet Meeting at Cankaya Palace in Ankara, Bozdag held the KRG leader accountable for regional disputes, saying: “Barzani should own up to his mistakes. Only saying ‘I’ve frozen the referendum’ is not enough [...], the cancelation of the referendum is needed.”

He added that Barzani's resignation heralded a new era in the region.

On Sept. 25, Iraqis in the KRG-held areas -- and in a number of disputed areas -- voted on whether or not to declare regional independence from the Iraqi state.

According to results announced by the KRG, almost 93 percent of registered voters cast ballots in favor of independence.

The illegitimate referendum was heavily criticized by most regional and international actors, with many warning it would distract from Iraq’s ongoing fight against terrorism and further destabilize the region.

Bozdag also criticized the deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Bulent Tezcan for calling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “fascist dictator” earlier Monday, saying it was "unacceptable”.

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also criticized Tezcan, tweeting: “Bulent Tezcan’s discourse of hatred is a certificate of shame for the main opposition. This is not politics, rather it is hostility towards the nation’s will.”

Kalin added that legal action would be taken over the comment.