In Syria, the seizing of control by Syrian Kurds of towns close to the Turkish border has raised concerns in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

Turkish authorities say Syrian Kurds might seek to create their own autonomous state, fueling similar demands from Turkey’s Kurdish minority.

News of Syrian Kurds taking control of towns from forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has raised concerns in Ankara, according to defense correspondent Metehan Demir of the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. He says long-standing Turkish fears of the creation of an independent Kurdish state have resurfaced.

“It’s perceived as a signal of a future autonomous area in this region, just next to the Turkish border. This is second piece of a four piece puzzle on the way to a Kurdistan country. Because one part is happening in northern Iraq, [a] second part is in Syria, east Kurdistan is [in] Iran and Northern Kurdistan as known according to their dreams is [the] Turkish part,” Demir said.