Syria decree grants Kurds new rights, formally recognising Kurdish language

Al JazeeraCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete January 17, 2026 at 09:47 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

In January 2026, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree granting new rights to Kurds, marking the first formal recognition of Kurdish national rights since 1946. The decree recognizes Kurdish as a national language alongside Arabic, allows Kurdish language instruction in schools, and restores citizenship to Kurdish Syrians stripped of it in a 1962 census. It also declares Newroz a national holiday and bans ethnic discrimination. The decree follows recent clashes in Aleppo between Kurdish fighters and the Syrian army, which resulted in casualties and displacement. While the Kurdish administration in northern Syria acknowledged the decree as a first step, they stated it does not fully satisfy the aspirations of the Syrian people.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Hasakah 30% Deir Hafer 30% Bashar al-Assad 40% Syrian Army ×250% Aleppo ×460% Ahmed al-Sharaa ×270% Kurdish ×870% Kurds ×480% Syria ×1090%

Keywords

kurdish rights 90% syria 80% kurdish language 80% national language 70% citizenship 60% aleppo 50% ethnic discrimination 50% kurdish fighters 40% national holiday 40%