Syria grants citizenship to Kurds, recognizes Kurdish language

Shafaq News– Damascus

On Friday, Syria recognized Kurdish as a national language and granted citizenship to residents of Kurdish origin under a decree by transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

The decree states that the state is committed to protecting the right of Kurdish citizens to preserve their heritage and arts and to develop their mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty, adding that teaching Kurdish is permitted in public and private schools “in areas where Kurds constitute a significant proportion of the population, either as part of optional curricula or as a cultural-educational activity.”

“All exceptional laws and measures resulting from the 1962 census in Al-Hasakah province are annulled, and Syrian citizenship is granted to all residents of Kurdish origin living on Syrian territory, including those registered as ‘unrecorded,’ with full equality in rights and duties.”

Article Five of the decree confirms that “Nowruz is designated a paid official public holiday across the Syrian Arab Republic.” According to the Article 6, state media and educational institutions are required to adopt an inclusive national discourse, while legally prohibiting “any discrimination or exclusion on ethnic or linguistic grounds,” and mandating punishment under applicable laws for anyone who incites ethnic discord.