17.01.2026 11:20
SDG leader Mazlum Abdi announced that the forces would withdraw from the west of the Euphrates; the President of the Syrian Interim Government, Ahmed al-Shara, also signed a decree granting new rights to the Kurds, which included provisions for the teaching of Kurdish in state and private schools in areas with a dense Kurdish population, as well as the declaration of Nowruz as an official holiday.
The President of Syria, Ahmed Shara, published a Presidential Decree regarding Syrian Kurds, stating that Kurds are a fundamental and essential part of the Syrian people.
EMPHASIS ON "INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT"
Shara emphasized that the cultural and linguistic identities of Kurds constitute an indispensable element of the multifaceted and unified Syrian national identity, drawing attention to the state's role and responsibility in strengthening national unity and ensuring the cultural and civil rights of all Syrian citizens.
TWO ARTICLES CAUGHT ATTENTION
The decree also included provisions for teaching Kurdish in state and private schools in regions with a significant Kurdish population and declaring Nowruz Festival a public holiday.
The following articles were included in the 13th Decree of the Syrian Presidency for the year 2026:
- Article (1): Syrian Kurdish citizens are considered a fundamental and essential part of the Syrian people. Their cultural and linguistic identities are an indispensable part of the multifaceted and unified Syrian national identity.
- Article (2): The state commits to preserving cultural and linguistic diversity; it guarantees the right of Kurdish citizens to maintain their heritage, arts, and develop their mother languages within the framework of national sovereignty.
- Article (3): Kurdish is recognized as a national language. In regions with a significant Kurdish population, it is permitted to be taught as an elective course or as part of educational-cultural activities in state and private schools.
- Article (4): All exceptional laws and measures resulting from the 1962 general census in Hasakeh province are repealed. All Kurdish-origin citizens residing in Syrian territory, including those whose registration is closed, are granted Syrian citizenship; full equality in rights and obligations is ensured.
- Article (5): "Nowruz Festival" (March 21) is declared a paid official holiday throughout all regions of the Syrian Arab Republic as a national holiday symbolizing spring and brotherhood.
- Article (6): The state's media and educational institutions are obliged to adopt an inclusive national discourse. Any form of discrimination and exclusion based on ethnicity or language is legally prohibited. Those who incite national division will be punished according to the applicable laws.
- Article (7): The relevant ministries and authorized institutions shall issue the necessary executive instructions for the implementation of the provisions of this decree within their jurisdiction.
- Article (8): This decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force on the date of its publication.