Turkey's Habur border with Iraq remains open, minister says

Turkey's Habur border gate with northern Iraq remains open, although tight controls have been imposed on traffic, Customs Minister Bulent Tüfenkçi said on Monday.

Earlier NTV and other broadcasters said Turkey had blocked access through the border gate in its southeast. The tighter border control came as voting started in an non-binding independence referendum organized by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq.

The controversial referendum slated for Sept. 25, results of which will be non-binding, will see residents of the Kurdish region vote on whether or not to declare independence from Iraq.

Baghdad, however, rejects the poll, saying it will adversely affect the fight against Daesh, which still maintains a significant presence in northern Iraq.

The Iraqi government also believes that holding the poll would violate the terms of the country's 2005 constitution.

Turkey also rejects the referendum, saying the region’s stability depends on the maintenance of Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity.