Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Wednesday that Turkish officials will discuss a possible mediation between the Iraqi government and Kurdistan Region officials during their visit to Baghdad on January 21. The minister said: “There have been calls for such a mediation.” “We will head to Baghdad on January 21 and discuss this issue, as well as bilateral files,” he added. Cavusoglu did not elaborate on what sides would be invited to the mediation, four months after the Kurdish region voted in an independence referendum that was rejected by Baghdad and Ankara. The majority of Kurds overwhelmingly voted in favor independence. The move however backfired when Baghdad took a series of stringent measures against the semi-autonomous region. The Iraqi government seized Kurdish-held Kirkuk and other territory disputed between the Kurds and the central government. It also banned direct flights to Kurdistan and demanded control over border crossings.