Turkey's military says it has kicked off a drill near its border with Iraq, as the northern Iraqi Kurdish region prepares to hold a referendum on independence on September 25.
The military says the exercise started on Monday near the town of Silopi, close to the Habur border gate between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdish region.
The military did not provide details on the drill but said anti-terror operations in the region would continue at the same time as the exercises, the AP reported.
Turkey has opposed to the Iraqi Kurdish moves for independence and has urged Iraqi Kurdish leaders to cancel the vote.
The Iraqi Kurdish referendum is scheduled for September 25.
