Autonomous Administration Says Kurdish Rights Cannot be Protected by Temporary Decrees

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As Damascus moves to formally recognize Kurdish identity and language through a presidential decree, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has issued a public statement asserting that fundamental rights cannot be safeguarded through temporary measures, warning that only a permanent constitution can ensure lasting protection for Syria’s diverse communities.

In a statement addressed to public opinion on Saturday, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) said it had closely followed the decree issued by Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa concerning the rights of the Kurdish people in Syria.

The administration stressed that rights cannot be preserved through temporary decrees, but must instead be protected and consolidated through permanent constitutions that genuinely reflect the will of all peoples and components of the country.

The statement said that the issuance of any decree, regardless of its intentions, cannot constitute a real guarantee for the rights of Syria’s components unless it forms part of a comprehensive constitutional framework that recognizes and safeguards the rights of all without exception.

From this standpoint, the Autonomous Administration reaffirmed its position, as clearly stated in its social contract, calling for the drafting of a democratic and pluralistic constitution that protects, preserves, and guarantees the rights of all Syrian components, societies, and beliefs. The administration described Syria’s diversity as a source of strength and its true beauty.

While noting that the decree could be considered a first step, the statement said it does not meet the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people, who it said have made immense sacrifices and waged a genuine revolution to obtain their legitimate rights and to build a democratic state in which all can enjoy a free and dignified life based on justice and equality.

The Autonomous Administration concluded by reaffirming that a comprehensive national dialogue and a democratic, decentralized constitution remain the fundamental solution to the issue of rights and freedoms in Syria, one that guarantees genuine partnership among all Syrians and lays the foundations for a state based on citizenship and social justice.

The statement comes amid a series of official messages from Damascus emphasizing Kurdish inclusion within Syria’s national identity.

In a rare address delivered in Kurdish, Syria’s minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, Asaad Shaibani, said Kurds are an authentic pillar of the Syrian nation, aligning his remarks with Presidential Decree No. 13 of 2026.

In a statement written in Kurdish on his official X account, Shaibani said Syria’s strength lies in the unity of its people and their collective will to overcome challenges.

“The strength of Syria lies in the solidarity of its people, and with our unity we face all obstacles to build a free country that is spacious for all our dreams and hopes,” he wrote.

In a second message, he directly addressed Kurdish citizens, stressing that Syrian national identity has always been inclusive and indivisible.

“Because the Syrian Identity has always been a unity for all its children, and the Kurdish brothers are a genuine pillar in this structure. They are from us and we are from them, and our future is one and indivisible,” he said.

Shaibani’s remarks followed the issuance of Decree No. 13 of 2026 by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which formally affirms that Kurdish citizens are an essential and authentic component of the Syrian people.

The decree recognizes Kurdish cultural and linguistic identity as an integral part of Syria’s unified and pluralistic national identity, commits the state to protecting cultural and linguistic diversity, and allows for the development of the Kurdish mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty. It recognizes Kurdish as a national language and permits its teaching in public and private schools in areas with significant Kurdish populations.

The decree also annuls all exceptional laws stemming from the 1962 census in Hasakah province, grants Syrian citizenship to all residents of Kurdish origin living in Syria, guarantees full equality in rights and duties, designates Newroz on March 21 as an official paid public holiday nationwide, and obliges state institutions and media to adopt an inclusive national discourse prohibiting ethnic or linguistic discrimination.

Decree No. 13 was signed in Damascus on Jan. 16, 2026, and entered into force upon publication in the official gazette.

While welcoming what it described as an initial step, the Democratic Autonomous Administration said enduring rights and freedoms in Syria can only be achieved through a democratic, decentralized constitution born of inclusive national dialogue, rather than temporary decrees.