Syrian Kurdish political parties cautiously welcomed the decree recognising Kurdish cultural rights, but warned it falls short of what they want: full constitutional recognition and legal guarantees, along with a form of autonomy in northern Syria.
Late on Friday, Syrian Interim President Ahmad al‑Sharaa issued a decree recognising Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including designating Newroz, the Kurdish new year, as a national holiday.
The decree also restored citizenship to Kurds, about 20 percent of whom had lost their nationality following a controversial 1962 census.
The move marks the first official acknowledgement of Kurdish national rights since Syria gained independence in 1946.
"Our Kurdish people, descendants of Saladin: beware of believing claims that we seek harm against our Kurdish brothers," Sharaa said in a televised address.
