LONDON: A decree by Syria’s interim president has cast a light on a long-marginalized population in the country’s northeast, where hundreds of thousands of Kurds have for generations been denied basic civil and cultural rights.
The announcement, made on Jan. 16, came amid heightened tensions between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern Aleppo governorate.
It also comes as interim authorities in Damascus seek to implement a reintegration deal with the SDF, which would see the central government reestablish control over Syria’s northeast and Kurdish-led forces incorporated into the national army.
Interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa said citizenship would be restored to all Kurdish Syrians, their language formally recognized, and Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year, declared a national holiday — a move suggesting renewed respect for Syria’s minorities.
The Ministry of Interior began implementing the decree on Jan. 29. (Reuters)
