Diverse sources are critical of Kurdish declaration of autonomy in Syria

The Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria have voted to seek autonomy. The vote was to unite three Kurdish-controlled provinces into a federal system. The move could complicate UN-backed peace talks, in which Kurds are not included.

The Kurds in Syria have had an autonomous area in northern Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The vote has brought criticism from diverse sources including the Assad regime, Turkey, and the United States.

US State Department spokesperson, John Kirby, said: "We don't support self-ruled, semi-autonomous zones inside Syria. We just don't. What we want to see is a unified, whole Syria that has in place a government that is not led by (President) Bashar al-Assad that is responsive to the Syrian people. Whole, unified, nonsectarian Syria, that's the goal."While the U.S. has given strong support to the Kurdish PYD party they nevertheless hope for a unified Syria. Turkey considers the PYD terrorists and is angry at American support for them. The Kurds, with American help, have wrested considerable territory from the control of the Islamic State. The Kurds seem less concerned with replacing Assad than with consolidating power over areas they control.

The Kurds will establish what they call the "federal democratic system of Rojava- Northern Syria." Rojava is the Kurdish name for northern Syria. Officials said preparations were being made to elect a joint leadership and a 21 member committee which would prepare a "legal and political vision" for Rojava within the span of six months.

A document at a recent meeting detailed the areas of autonomy: "... the aim was to "establish democratic self-administered regions which run and organize themselves ... in the fields of economy, society, security, healthcare, education, defense and culture." The Kurds insist that the federation is not an attempt to secede from Syria but simply to gain autonomy.

Syrian rebels also criticized the Kurdish move, insisting they oppose all forms of federalism and want a powerful national government. Russia may not oppose the move — Russia has suggested that a federal system is one possible way of resolving the civil war.

The Syria state news agency, SANA, reported that a foreign ministry source said: "Any such announcement has no legal value and will not have any legal, political, social or economic impact as long as it does not reflect the will of the entire Syrian people."

Turkey worries that an autonomous Kurdish zone in neighboring Syria could fuel separatist sentiments among its own Kurdish minority. It considers the PYD to be an ally of the PKK which is fighting for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey. A Turkish official said: : "Syria must remain as one without being weakened and the Syrian people must decide on its future in agreement and with a constitution. Every unilateral initiative will harm Syria's unity." The UN envoy, Staffan de Mistura, said:"All Syrians have rejected division (of Syria) and federalism can be discussed at the negotiations,"

The Kurds control an area stretching about 400 km or 250 miles along the northern Syrian-Turkish border. However, they also control a separate area that is separated from the main territories by about 100 kilometres or 60 miles most of it controlled by the Islamic State.

Turkish president Erdogan threatens military action against Syrian Kurds if they take more land from the Islamic State

After Kurdish YPG forces in Syria came under fire recently in the northern border town of Tel Abyad, Turkish President Recep Erdogan warned that more attacks would be coming if the Kurds attempted to make further gains against the Islamic State.

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Unlike the U.S. who considers the Kurds prime allies against the Islamic State in northern Syria and in Iraq as well, Turkey is concerned about the de facto growth of a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria on its border. Turkey's policies are anti-Kurdish and of late have become even more so, as Erdogan attempts to whip up anti-Kurd nationalist sentiments in Turkey in the hope of winning a majority in the elections on Sunday.

While Turkey recently joined the US-led coalition in air strikes against the islamic State, it also at the same time launched strikes against the Kurdish PKK in northern Iraq. The PKK has long fought against the ruling Turkish government. Although Erdogan had earlier agreed to a ceasefire with the PKK, that agreement has been terminated by Turkey's recent bombing activity against Kurds in northern Iraq.

Erdogan's threats against the Kurds for seizing more territory from the Islamic State, threatens relations with both the U.S. and Russia. Erdogan sees airstrikes by both the Russians and the US-led coalition as benefiting the Kurds. As mentioned earlier, Erdogan fears an autonomous Syrian Kurdistan on its borders. He feels this development would feed into secessionist sentiment among Kurds in Turkey. No doubt that sentiment is already growing in any case due to Erdogan's attacks on the Kurdish minority within Turkey.

When units of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) advanced west of the Euphrates recently into Islamic State held territory, they were twice attacked by Turkish jets. The Kurds had been warned by Turkey that they should not advance west of the Euphrates. Erdogan said: "This was a warning. 'Pull yourself together. If you try to do this elsewhere - Turkey doesn't need permission from anyone - we will do what is necessary.'" The local leadership council recently declared that the town was part of a system of self-governing cantons set up and run by the Kurds. Erdogan accused the US of supporting terrorism through its aid to the Kurds: "The PYD is committing ethnic cleansing here (of) Arabs and Turkmen. If the Kurds withdraw and don't form a canton, there's no problem. But if the mindset continues, then what is necessary will be done or we face serious problems. We are determined to (combat) anything that threatens us along the Syrian border, inside or out."

The Kurdish enclave in Syria is called Rojava or Western Kurdistan and is divided into several cantons. The PYD or Democratic Union Party has links to the Kurdistan Worker's Party(PKK) that many countries, including the U.S., consider a terrorist organization but many other countries do not classify it as such including Egypt, China, and Russia. The U.S. and many other countries do not consider the PYD a terrorist group. Erdogan lashed out at the US saying: "They don't even accept the PYD as a terrorist organization. What kind of nonsense is this?The West still has the mentality of 'My terrorist is good, yours is bad.'"That mentality seems common to almost every country. Turkey is after all complaining that the Kurds are seizing territory from the Islamic State. If any group deserve to be called terrorists it is surely them. Erdogan claims that 1,400 PKK militants are fighting in Syria alongside the YPG.

Erdogan seems bound and determined to exacerbate relations with the Kurds in the hope that this will gain him a majority in the upcoming elections on Sunday. He is also clamping down on other opposition forces in Turkey including media outlets critical of him and his regime. If Erdogan gains a majority, he is sure to increase his powers and clamp down even more on opponents a move certain to create even more conflict with the Kurds both within and outside of Turkey.