Syrian Kurdish Party Urges Damascus to Enshrine Kurdish Rights in New Constitution

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Syria (KDP-S) held a meeting in Qamishlo on Aug. 12, reviewing Syria's evolving political landscape, the reconciliation process underway in Türkiye, and the future of the Kurdish nation across the region, according to a closing statement released by the party.

KDP-S, founded in 1957, is one of the oldest and most influential Kurdish political parties in Western Kurdistan (northern Syria). It is a member of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS).

The Central Committee opened its review of the general political situation by addressing recent developments, including the NATO summit held in Türkiye, which coincided with escalation between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.

The committee also pointed to regional movements that have culminated in a trilateral alliance among Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, noting the possibility that this alliance could expand to include other countries in the region, with developments that may carry significant implications across the wider Middle East.

Turkey's reconciliation law and its impact on Syria

The committee devoted significant attention to the new law passed by the Turkish parliament — referred to in the statement as "Türkiye Without Terrorism" and the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration — which it said forms part of the process to complete reconciliation between the Turkish government and Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the now-dissolved Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). KDP-S said the law would have direct implications for the integration process underway in Syria between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government.

Presidential Decree No. 13 and constitutional guarantees

The Central Committee offered a positive assessment of Syria's new authorities, describing their approach at the national level — across the country's ethnic and religious components, and particularly its Kurdish national component — as encouraging, despite what it described as shortcomings and criticisms. The committee praised Presidential Decree No. 13 of 2026 and stressed the necessity of enshrining it in Syria's new constitution and building upon it to guarantee the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 13 in January, formally affirming that Syrian Kurdish citizens are an integral and authentic part of the Syrian people and that their cultural and linguistic identity forms an inseparable part of the country's national identity. The decree also annulled exceptional measures tied to a 1962 census in Hasaka province that had stripped many Kurds of Syrian citizenship, restoring citizenship to those affected.

The committee affirmed the necessity of developing relations with Damascus through continuous channels of dialogue and coordination on issues tied to the Kurds' authentic presence in Syria and their national rights, in order to guarantee genuine partnership in building the new Syrian state. It reiterated that Syria's future must be a democratic, pluralistic state built on equal citizenship and national partnership, guaranteeing the rights of all its components — Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and Assyrian-Syriac communities alike. The committee also called for accelerating the return of state institutions and services to citizens, with particular attention to infrastructure.

Barzani's Damascus visit and the raising of the Kurdistan flag

The Central Committee highly praised the role of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by President Masoud Barzani, in supporting the Kurdish people and their cause across all parts of Kurdistan, and particularly in Syrian Kurdistan. It said the recent visit of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to Syria had given the Kurdish issue new momentum and contributed to growing attention from the Damascus government toward Kurdish affairs. The committee highly praised the raising of the Kurdistan flag for the first time in Syria's history during the official reception ceremony held for President Barzani.

Strengthening the Kurdish National Council

The Central Committee described the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS) as a political and national achievement, calling for it to be preserved, developed and activated in line with the demands of the current stage. It called for a serious, thorough and comprehensive review of the council's performance, and said new working mechanisms were needed to strengthen its effectiveness and presence, notwithstanding certain criticisms of its work. The committee called for ensuring an active and prominent role for KDP-S within the council's institutions and decision-making, and for uniting the efforts of all its components to elevate its standing and respond to upcoming political developments inside the country.

ENKS is a coalition of Syrian Kurdish parties, including KDP-S, that has historically positioned itself as a political counterweight to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its affiliated Autonomous Administration structures in Western Kurdistan.

The committee affirmed its commitment to unity of the Kurdish political position, stressing continued work to strengthen dialogue and narrow differences in the interest of the Kurdish people's higher national interests.

The Central Committee concluded that strengthening the party's political and organizational role, and expanding its national and Kurdish relations, would remain a core priority in the period ahead, in service of the Kurdish cause and the broader national interest.