Idris Nassan, an official in the foreign affairs directorate of Kobani, said on Wednesday that the Kurdish-controlled areas will reportedly be named the Federation of Northern Syria, and will represent all ethnic groups living there.
Speaking to RT Arabic, Nassan said that the proposal of federation has existed since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
“Syria's Kurds have a long history of opposition and a long history of struggle for the legitimate rights of their people in this country,” Nassan said, explaining that the nationalist struggle has evolved into a more “developed” form of fighting for equal rights in general.
Nassan stressed, however, that federalization does not mean the Kurdish people will go down the "path of separatism."
“Therefore, I believe that the international players, primarily Russia and the United States will support this approach and advocate for its implementation,” he said.
The newly established system is expected to replace the autonomous cantons in Syria Kurdistan (Rojava).
"Nassan stressed, however, that federalization does not mean the Kurdish people will go down the "path of separatism.""
The move comes after the Syrian Kurdish PYD party's exclusion from political talks in Geneva aimed at ending the Syrian crisis.
The exclusion is in line with the wishes of Turkey, which sees the party as an offshoot of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Ankara is currently battling the PKK in southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, and Iraq.
However, Moscow has strongly insisted that the Kurds be invited to upcoming peace talks, suggesting that leaving them out could endanger Syria's territorial integrity. Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, has also said the Syrian Kurds deserve a spot at the negotiating table in Geneva, reported by RT.
Against the Constitution
A source within the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry has warned against any attempt to undermine Syria's unity and territorial integrity, SANA reported.
“Raising the issue of a federation or that of federalization would affect the territorial integrity of Syria, which goes against the constitution, the national concepts and international resolutions,” the source told the media outlet.
“Any declaration to that effect would be without any legal value and void of any legal, political, social or economic effect as long as it does not reflect the will of the entire Syrian people with all their political leanings and social spectra, who are all committed to the national unity and territorial integrity of their country,” he added.
The source went on to state that the main task for the Syrian people is to combat terrorism, and that "any deviation from this goal would be considered support for terrorism and for all those who try to weaken Syria and undermine the will of its heroic army in its endeavor for restoring security and stability nationwide.”
Meanwhile, Turkey has also said that any unilateral move aimed at declaring a federation cannot be valid, adding that it supports Syria’s national unity and territorial integrity. A source in the Turkish foreign ministry told Reuters that the administrative structure of Syria will be decided by all Syrians through the adoption of a new constitution.
Syrian Kurds effectively control a stretch of 400 kilometers (250 miles) along the Syria-Turkey border, from the frontier with Iraq to the Euphrates River. They also control a section of the northwestern border in the Afrin area.
The federation declaration comes as Turkey continues its crackdown on the PKK in Syria, northern Iraq, and southeast Turkey. Fighting has been taking place since July 2015, when Ankara broke a two-year ceasefire agreement.
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