The Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), the civilian arm of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which controls Idlib and parts of the governorates of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia in northwestern Syria, has begun accepting applications for photo identity cards from citizens living under its rule.
Issuing the personal IDs is viewed as a move that reinforces the departure of HTS-run areas from the authority of the central government in Damascus.
The HTS-dominated interior ministry, in a statement, said that it had started receiving requests from citizens who are 14 years-old or older.
Moreover, the ministry said it was accepting applications filed in centers in Idlib city and the areas of Sarmada, Harem, Kafr Takharim and Dana in Idlib’s countryside.
According to the ministry, large numbers of Syrian citizens have flocked the centers to apply and receive their personal IDs.
“We conducted a research to adopt the best mechanism for granting the personal card at the lowest costs,” said SSG Interior Minister Mohamed Abdelrahman in a press conference held a few days ago.
“The personal card is based on the civil records within the civil affairs departments,” added Abdelrahman.
The SSG says it is looking to preserve rights and civil records of Syrians living in its territories.
Moreover, Abdelrahman said that the new identity cards will “make it easier for citizens to establish marriage contracts, conclude sales and purchase contracts, conduct real estate transactions, and appear before the judiciary.”
Abdelrahman pointed out that the specifications of the new identity card “were designed according to international standards.”
Additionally, the newly launched IDs support the English language, like international personal cards.
Moreover, the cards bear the landmarks of seven Syrian governorates and are decorated according to ancient Levantine heritage.
