Syria grants citizenship to Kurds after SDF setbacks
Interior decree covers stateless Kurds nationwide as Damascus consolidates control following rapid advances against Kurdish-led forces
DAMASCUS, Syria (MNTV) — Syria’s Interior Ministry has ordered the immediate implementation of a decree granting citizenship to Kurdish minorities, including those previously registered as stateless, as government forces expand control in the country’s north.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab issued the directive on Wednesday, instructing authorities to apply the measure to all Kurds residing in Syria and complete the rollout by Feb. 5, according to state media reports.
The decision follows recent territorial gains by Syrian government forces against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which have withdrawn from several key cities, including Raqqa and Deir Az Zor, amid a rapid military campaign.
Earlier this month, President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced the restoration of citizenship to Kurdish Syrians alongside the formal recognition of Kurdish as a national language, declaring a ceasefire between government forces and Kurdish factions.
Under the decree, state institutions have also been instructed to safeguard Kurdish culture and language, including allowing Kurdish-language education in public and private schools in Kurdish-majority areas.
The order further designates March 21 as a nationwide holiday to mark Newroz, the traditional spring festival widely celebrated by Kurds across the region.
Syrian authorities said implementation bodies have been directed to immediately draft detailed guidelines to ensure swift and uniform enforcement of the citizenship measure.
The developments come as Damascus seeks to reassert authority across the country following nearly 14 years of civil war, a process that has drawn international attention and mixed reactions.
United States President Donald Trump has welcomed the Syrian government’s recent advances, despite Washington’s earlier backing of the SDF, while humanitarian groups continue to report food shortages and displacement affecting Kurdish civilians in northern areas.
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