Syria grants citizenship, language rights to Kurdish Syrians in landmark decree
DAMASCUS, Jan 16 — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree formally recognizing the Kurdish language and restoring citizenship to all Kurdish Syrians, the state news agency SANA reported on Friday.
The decree affirms the rights of Kurdish Syrians for the first time in the country's history.
"The presidential decree includes recognition of the Kurdish language as an official language alongside Arabic," SANA reported.
It also restores citizenship to all Kurdish Syrians who were previously denied or stripped of their status.
The move comes after decades of marginalization of Syria's Kurdish minority, estimated at about 10% of the population.
Kurds in Syria have long faced restrictions on language use, cultural expression, and political participation.
Many were rendered stateless by a 1962 census that stripped citizenship from thousands of Kurdish families.
The decree represents a significant shift in Syria's approach to its ethnic minorities.
Analysts suggest the move may be aimed at addressing longstanding grievances and stabilizing relations.
Implementation details and timeline for the citizenship restoration process were not immediately specified.