Turkey has removed three television channels based in northern Iraq, including Kurdish news agency Rudaw, from its TurkSat satellite over broadcasting violations during the Kurdish Regional Government's (KRG) referendum.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) held an extraordinary meeting on Monday to remove Rudaw TV, K-24 TV and Waar TV over "their broadcasting policies underminig the international agreements signed by Turkey, and violating provisions of law."
The move comes as voters in areas under the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), including disputed areas between Baghdad and Irbil, voted on Monday in a referendum on whether to secede from Iraq.
Baghdad, Turkey, Iran, the U.S., and the U.N. have all spoken out against the poll, saying it would distract from the ongoing fight against Daesh and further destabilize the region.
Turkey on Monday announced it would regard the results of the Kurdish referendum as "null and void" and Iraq's central government has threatened to intervene militarily if the vote leads to violence.
KRG President Masoud Barzani has said a "Yes" win would not result in an automatic declaration of independence but would simply lead to further negotiations with Baghdad.
