Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa issued a decree on Friday making Kurdish a "national language" and granting the community national rights.
The decree also made Nowruz an official holiday and restored citizenship to Kurds who had been stripped of it under a controversial 1962 census.
Syrian state news agency SANA published the official text on its website, saying the decree affirms that Syrian Kurdish citizens are “an integral and authentic part of the Syrian people” and that their cultural and linguistic identity is “an inseparable component of Syria’s unified and diverse national identity.”
Decree text
Article 1: Syrian Kurdish citizens are considered an essential and authentic part of the Syrian people, and their cultural and linguistic identity is an inseparable part of Syria’s unified and diverse national identity.
Article 2: The state is committed to protecting cultural and linguistic diversity and guarantees Kurdish citizens the right to preserve their heritage, arts, and to develop their mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty.
Article 3: The Kurdish language is considered a national language and is permitted to be taught in public and private schools in areas where Kurds constitute a significant percentage of the population, as part of the elective curriculum or as a cultural and educational activity.
Article 4: All exceptional laws and measures resulting from the 1962 census in Al‑Hasakah province are annulled. Syrian citizenship is granted to all residents of Kurdish origin living in Syria, including those previously unregistered, with full equality in rights and duties.
Article 5: The “Nowruz” holiday (March 21) is declared an official paid holiday throughout the Syrian Arab Republic, as a national celebration symbolising spring and fraternity.
Article 6: State media and educational institutions are required to adopt an inclusive national discourse. Any discrimination or exclusion based on ethnicity or language is legally prohibited, and incitement to ethnic strife will be punishable under existing laws.
Article 7: Relevant ministries and authorities shall issue the necessary executive instructions to implement the provisions of this decree.
Article 8: This decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall enter into force on the date of its issuance.
