The head of Kurdistan called "great betrayal" the surrender of Kirkuk to the forces of Iraq

The head of the Iraqi Kurdistan Masud Barzani announced the discharge of the Kurdish militia from Kirkuk and the surrender of the city forces of the federal government "great betrayal" and "blow to the back." With such a statement, he made in his first television circulation after a referendum held in the region on independence, reportsRUDAW .

“What happened on the night of October 15 to 16 in Kirkuk is a blow to the back. Due to the betrayal, our plan for the protection of the city was ripped off,” Barzani emphasized.

According to the Kurdish leader, for him the fact that those in the United States are considered terrorists "used Abrams tanks" and the weapons produced in Kirkuk and Kurdish regions in the United States. He added that now the Kurdish people wondered if they knew about Baghdad's plans in Washington and why they did not prevent the offensive, TASS reports.

We DID not anticipate the Treason We Faced in #kirkuk , It Was a Poisonous Sword in Our Backs, @masoud_barzani . #Kurdistanblockade pic.twitter.com/imlrjtkmqp

- Rudaw English (@rudawenglish) October 29, 2017

Recall, on September 25, a referendum on independence was held in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kurdish Higher Independent Electoral Commission on referendum and elections announced two days later that more than 90% of those participating in the plebiscite spoke out for the department from Iraq.

This was followed by a sharp exacerbation of relations with the central authorities of Iraq, the entry of Iraqi troops into the Kirkuk Oil Province and clashes with the Kurdish militia detachments of Peshmerg.

On the eve of Barzani announced his refusal to remain as president of Iraqi Kurdistan, his term of office expires on November 1. In a letter sent to the Kurdish parliament on October 28, Barzani proposed a reform of the authorities, sharing the presidential powers between the government, parliament and the judicial system.