Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that a referendum on Kurdish independence is a matter of national security for his country and that Ankara will take necessary measures in this regard.
Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani emphasized that the referendum would not be postponed and would take place September 25 as planned.
In the lead-up to the referendum, pressures are mounting on the Kurdish leadership to postpone the process or cancel it.
Turkey and Iran who each have a significant Kurdish population in their countries have opposed the Kurdish referendum, with Ankara saying that they will officially announce their stance on September 22 during a meeting of its National Security Council, just 3 days before the vote. Both countries have asked the Kurds to call off the vote.