Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a news conference after an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Executive Committee in Istanbul, Turkey, August 1, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ANKARA (Reuters) - A planned independence referendum in Kurdish northern Iraq could make the situation in the region worse and even lead to a civil war, Turkey’s foreign minister warned on Wednesday.

Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region has said it would hold a referendum on independence on Sept. 25, brushing aside international warnings, including from Turkey, that it could trigger conflict with Baghdad.

Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments during an interview with broadcaster TRT Haber.