Iraq orders international airlines to stop flying into its Kurdish region following a referendum vote on secession.

The government of Iraq is suspending all international flights to and from Erbil in its northern autonomous Kurdish region.

It's a punitive measure after people in the area took part in a secession vote on Monday that Baghdad and other governments, including Turkey, have strongly opposed.

Almost 93 percent voted for the referendum.

But Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's administration calls it unconstitutional. It's also demanding full control of the region's oil revenue and border crossings.

So, can Iraq's central government stop a possible Kurdish state?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests:

Ahmed Rushdi - Director at House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation

Dlawer Ala-Aldeen - President of the Middle East Research Institute

Kamran Matin - Senior lecturer specialising in Kurdish studies at the University of Sussex

Source: Al Jazeera News