Syria's Sharaa grants Kurdish Syrians citizenship

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree affirming the rights of the Kurdish Syrians, formally recognising their language and restoring citizenship to all Kurdish Syrians, state news agency SANA reported on Friday.



Sharaa's decree came after fierce clashes that broke out last week in the northern city of Aleppo, leaving at least 23 people dead, according to Syria's health ministry, and forced more than 150,000 to flee the two Kurdish-run pockets of the city.



The clashes ended after Kurdish fighters withdrew.



The violence in Aleppo has deepened one of the main faultlines in Syria, where al-Sharaa's promise to unify the country under one leadership after 14 years of war has faced resistance from Kurdish forces wary of his Islamist-led government.



The decree ‌for the first time grants Kurdish Syrians rights, including recognition of Kurdish identity as part of Syria's national fabric. It designates Kurdish as a national language alongside Arabic and allows schools to teach it.