President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree recognising Kurdish Syrians' identity, restoring citizenship to those stripped under a 1962 Hasaka census, and granting Kurdish language and schooling rights. The move follows deadly clashes in Aleppo that killed at least 23 people and displaced more than 150,000. The decree also makes Nowruz a paid national holiday, bans ethnic discrimination and penalises incitement to ethnic strife. State media reported the decision, but implementation details and timelines remain unclear.
Syria Recognises Kurdish Identity: Citizenship Restored and Kurdish Made A National Language
FILE PHOTO: Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivers a speech on the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad's fall, in Damascus, Syria December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Jan 16 (Reuters) — Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree on Friday that affirms the rights of Kurdish Syrians, formally recognises the Kurdish language and restores Syrian citizenship to residents affected by measures dating back to a 1962 Hasaka census, state news agency SANA reported.
The move follows intense clashes last week in northern Aleppo that Syria's health ministry said left at least 23 people dead and forced more than 150,000 residents to flee two Kurdish-run enclaves in the city. The violence subsided after Kurdish fighters withdrew from the contested areas.
Key Elements Of The Decree
Recognition of Identity and Language: For the first time, the decree explicitly recognises Kurdish identity as part of Syria's national fabric and designates Kurdish as a national language alongside Arabic. The measure permits schools to offer instruction in Kurdish.
Restoration Of Citizenship: The decree annuls measures dating to the 1962 Hasaka census that left many Kurds stateless, granting Syrian nationality to all affected residents, including those previously registered as without citizenship.
Protections And Cultural Rights: Nowruz, the spring and new-year festival, is declared a paid national holiday. The decree outlaws ethnic and linguistic discrimination, requires state institutions to promote inclusive national messaging, and sets penalties for incitement to ethnic strife.
Context And Implementation
The announcement was carried by state media SANA. Syria's government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of the northeast, held months of talks last year aimed at integrating Kurdish-run military and civilian bodies into state institutions by the end of 2025. Officials in both camps have said progress has been limited.
Details on how quickly the new measures will be implemented, how citizenship will be processed, and how schooling in Kurdish will be rolled out were not specified in the decree or state reporting. Observers say practical implementation will be politically and administratively complex given lingering distrust and the fragmented security landscape.
Reporting: State news agency SANA carried the decree; Reuters reported the developments and casualty figures, citing Syria's health ministry.
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