Syria's Kurds on Saturday said a presidential decree recognizing the minority's rights and making Kurdish an official language fell short of their expectations as Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of a northern town.
In a statement, the Kurdish administration in Syria's north and northeast said the decree issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday was "a first step, however it does not satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people".
It added that "rights are not protected by temporary decrees, but... through permanent constitutions that express the will of the people and all components" of society.
Al-Sharaa’s decree affirmed that Syrian citizens of Kurdish origin are an integral and original part of the Syrian people, and that their cultural and linguistic identity is an inseparable component of Syria’s inclusive national identity.
The decree commits the state to protecting cultural and linguistic diversity and guarantees Kurdish citizens the right to preserve their heritage, arts, and mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty.
It recognizes Kurdish as a national language and allows it to be taught in public and private schools in areas where Kurds make up a significant proportion of the population.
It also grants Syrian nationality to all residents of Kurdish origin living on Syrian territory, including those previously unregistered, while ensuring full equality in rights and duties.
The decree further designates Nowruz, celebrated annually on March 21, as an official public holiday.
Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of the northern town of Deir Hafer Saturday morning after the command of Kurdish-led fighters said it would evacuate the area in an apparent move to avoid conflict.
This came after deadly clashes erupted earlier this month between government troops and the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest.
It ended with the evacuation of Kurdish fighters from three neighborhoods taken over by government forces.
An Associated Press reporter saw on Saturday government tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles, including pickup trucks with heavy machine-guns mounted on top of them, rolling toward the town of Deir Hafer from nearby Hamima after bulldozers removed barriers. There was no SDF presence on the edge of the town.
Meanwhile, the Syrian military said Saturday morning its forces were in full control of Deir Hafer, captured the Jarrah airbase east of the town, and were working on removing all mines and explosives. It added that troops would also move toward the nearby town of Maskana.
On Friday night, after government forces started pounding SDF positions in Deir Hafer, the Kurdish-led fighters’ top commander Mazloum Abdi posted on X that his group would withdraw from contested areas in northern Syria. Abdi said SDF fighters would relocate east of the Euphrates River starting 7 a.m. (0400 gmt) Saturday.
The easing of tension came after US military officials visited Deir Hafer on Friday and held talks with SDF officials in the area.
The United States has good relations with both sides and has urged calm.
