New Syria Grants Identity and Language Rights to Syrian Kurds

At a time when elements of the former Syrian regime are seeking to destabilize parts of the country, the new Syrian administration under President Ahmed Shara has taken a landmark step toward addressing decades of marginalization faced by Kurds, particularly in the areas of identity, language, and citizenship.

Kurds Recognized as an Integral Part of Syria’s National Identity

In Presidential Decree No. 13 of 2026, issued by President Ahmed Shara, Syrian Kurdish citizens are explicitly described as a “fundamental and essential part” of the Syrian people. The decree emphasizes that Kurdish cultural and linguistic identity constitutes an inseparable element of Syria’s diverse and unified national identity.

Kurdish Recognized as a National Language

Under the decree, Syrian Kurdish is officially recognized as a national language. In areas with a significant Kurdish population, Kurdish may be taught in public and private schools as an elective subject or as part of educational and cultural activities. This marks the first time in Syria’s history that the Kurdish language has been granted formal legal recognition.

Citizenship Issue Resolved

One of the most consequential provisions of the decree abolishes all exceptional laws and measures resulting from the 1962 general census in Hasakah province. Accordingly, all Kurdish-origin residents living on Syrian territory — including those previously unregistered — will be granted Syrian citizenship, with full equality in rights and obligations.

Nowruz Declared a National Holiday

The decree also designates 21 March, Nowruz, as a national holiday symbolizing spring and brotherhood. Nowruz will be observed as a paid official holiday across all regions of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Legal Safeguards Against Discrimination

The decree mandates that state media and educational institutions adopt an inclusive national discourse. All forms of ethnic or linguistic discrimination and exclusion are explicitly prohibited by law, and individuals or groups that incite national division will be punished in accordance with existing legislation.

Implementation and Entry into Force

Relevant ministries and authorized institutions have been tasked with issuing the necessary executive instructions to implement the provisions of the decree within their respective jurisdictions. The decree entered into force upon its publication in the Official Gazette.

This move is widely seen as one of the clearest signals yet of the new Syrian administration’s intent to establish a new social contract with historically marginalized communities and to strengthen national unity.

Former Regime Remnants Back on the Ground

At a time when the new Syrian administration is taking steps to strengthen social peace, remnants of the deposed Assad regime have once again become visible on the ground. According to Syria’s state television El-Ikhbariyye, citing sources from the Syrian army, PKK ringleader Fehman Hussein, known by the codename “Bahoz Erdal,” and Mihraç Ural, who is directly linked to the former regime, have moved to the city of Tabqa, west of the Euphrates, an area under YPG/SDG occupation.

The report states that Fehman Hussein is actively directing YPG/SDG elements in attacks against the Syrian people and the Syrian army, while Mihraç Ural has also arrived in the same area to take part in organizational activities. Ural is among the defendants in the 2013 car bombing attack in Reyhanlı, Hatay province, which killed 52 people. During the era of the deposed Assad regime, Ural commanded paramilitary groups and is known as one of the main perpetrators of massacres targeting civilians.

The Objective Is Clear: Sabotaging the New Era

Syrian army sources stress that this movement is not coincidental. According to assessments, remnants of the former regime are using YPG/SDG-controlled areas as rear bases in an effort to plunge Syria back into chaos, trigger sectarian and ethnic fault lines, and undermine the reform process launched by the new administration.

The timing of these moves, particularly as steps are being taken to grant rights and equal citizenship to Kurdish citizens, is being interpreted as an attempt to reintroduce mistrust between these communities and the Syrian state.

The Old System of Repression Will Not Return

The administration in Damascus is delivering a clear message that the former order — built on repression, denial, and security-driven reflexes — will not be allowed to be rebuilt. Officials emphasize that the actors who dragged the country into years of conflict will find no legitimacy among the Syrian people, even if they re-emerge today under different names and organizations.

While security forces state that the fight against remnants of the former regime continues both on the ground and at the intelligence level, the new administration continues to promote a narrative centered on “unity, equality, and a shared future,” rather than chaos and sabotage.