Turkey‘s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Tuesday warned of sanctions against the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) if it proceeds with its planned referendum for independence next week.

„We have always supported“ the KRG, Erdogan told reporters in New York after his address at the UN General Assembly. „We think this approach of theirs amounts to ignoring the Republic of Turkey, which has stood by them and counted them as a close ally.“