The Syrian government said they are open to negotiations with Kurds over their demand for autonomy within Syria's borders. State news agency SANA reported that Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moualem said in an interview with Russian media that the government could discuss the Kurdish demand once Islamic State is defeated. He said Syria's Kurds want a form of autonomy within the borders of the Syrian Arab Republic. <br/><br/>However, Moualem reiterated his government's rejection of the referendum, saying Damascus supported Iraqi unity. Syrian Kurds says their aim is to preserve the autonomy as part of a decentralised Syria, and they do not aim to follow the path of Kurds in Iraq who held an independence referendum yesterday. <br/><br/>The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia controls a swathe of northern Syria where the main Kurdish party, the PYD, and its allies have established autonomy since the start of the Syrian war in 2011.