A TV channel has been founded to propagandize against the upcoming referendum by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) as a part of the "NO" campaign. Şasivar Abdulvahid, the owner of NRT TV, a channel that broadcasts from Suleymaniyah, a city from the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, founded a television channel named "nexer"(no in Kurdish) as a part of the "NO" campaign against the upcoming referendum by the KRG.
According to the statement released from Abdulhavid's office on Wednesday, a television channel has been founded to make broadcasts against the upcoming referendum on Sept. 25.
On Monday, a group of politicians, journalists and activists launched a "NO" campaign in Sulaymaniyah, against the referendum. The "NO for the Referendum" movement's spokesperson Reabun Maruf said, "This referendum is not a step toward a just and democratic state but on the contrary, it is a very dangerous and historical mistake." Last month, Abdulvahid announced beforehand that they will launch a "NO" campaign for the referendum.
In June, KRG President Masoud Barzani announced that they would hold a referendum on independence from Baghdad on Sept. 25.
Turkey has opposed the independence vote, saying that would be a "grave mistake" that would "result in undesired results" for regional peace and security.Last month, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley expressed concerns on the planned referendum, claiming that it could cause "a distraction from urgent priorities." Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also stated that the upcoming referendum is "not constitutional."
