Three Kurdish-led territories in northern Syria are expected to imminently announce a federal system, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The move will “[widen] the framework of self-administration which the Kurds and others have formed,” according to Idris Nassan, a representative of Kobani’s foreign affairs department. Kobani, Jazeera, and Afrin are the three regions that will be included in the newly declared federal system. Nassan added that the combined territory will be called the Federation of northern Syria, and would be inclusive of all ethnic groups living there.

Turkey considers the PYD, a Syrian-Kurdish political party, to be a terrorist organization because of its alleged affiliation with the PKK, a Kurdish group involved in an insurgency against Turkey. Due to Turkey’s objections, PYD has been excluded from the Syrian peace talks.

The declaration is likely to alarm Turkey, which fears the growing autonomy demonstrated by Syrian Kurds could encourage separatism among its own Kurdish minority.

YPG, the Syrian Kurdish militia, has captured large areas of northern Syria and “has been the most effective partner on the ground for a U.S.-led air campaign against the jihadists,” according to Reuters. The group has captured some 250 miles of contiguous territory along the border with Turkey in northeastern Syria, as well as land along the northwestern border in the Afrin area.

While the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejected a federal system for the country on Saturday, a Russian official called it a possibility days earlier.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot told the Knesset on Monday that Syria is unlikely to be reconstituted as a single state and could end up as six separate regions.

[Photo: Kurdishstruggle / Flickr ]