Barzani rules out Kurdish state in key public appearance

Turkey as well as other neighbors of Iraq oppose a referendum which was originally slated to take place before the end of 2007. Ankara says the vote would not reflect the true wishes of Kirkuk's ethnically mixed population since the demographic composition has been altered due to an influx of Kurdish immigrants from different parts of Iraq in the recent years. Ankara also says oil and other resources of Iraq should belong to entire Iraq.

Barzani said the Iraqi Kurdish administration, which currently includes three provinces in northern Iraq, would respect any result from the referendum and insisted that the vote would be held eventually.

"There is no such thing as cancellation of the referendum. Sooner or later, it will take place. Depending on the outcome, Kirkuk would either be part of Kurdistan region or Iraq. Kirkuk will decide on this," he said.

The Kurdish leader also called for Iraqi authorities to change the country's national flag, saying the Kurds had been promised that the existing flag would be replaced when Saddam Hussein regime was overthrown, a pledge yet to be fulfilled.

A delegation of Iraqi Kurdish officials, led by regional Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday held talks in Baghdad on Kirkuk and disputes between the Kurdish region and the Iraqi central administration concerning oil contracts the regional government has signed with foreign companies.

With national legislation stalled, Kurdish authorities have signed more than a dozen contracts with foreign companies over the objections by Oil Ministry officials in Baghdad, who consider the deals illegal.