Political parties, forces: Kurdish is national identity to be officially recognized in Syria

Political parties and forces issued a statement on Sunday affirming that the Kurdish language represents the national identity of the Kurdish people and is an integral part of the cultural diversity in Syria.

The statement declared that the Kurdish language is not foreign or alien to Syria, but rather the language of an indigenous people who have lived on this land for thousands of years. It is the spirit of a nation that refuses to perish, a spirit protected by the Kurds with their blood and memory, thus preserving an enduring national identity despite decades of oppression and attempts at assimilation into the languages of racists.

The statement further indicated that recognizing Kurdish as an official language alongside Arabic does not pose a threat to the country's unity, as some try to portray it, but rather represents a necessary step to reinforce national partnership and consolidate the values of justice and equal citizenship. It also constitutes a source of strength and enrichment for the national and cultural diversity of the future Syria.

The political parties and forces that signed this statement also expressed their profound dismay at the Syrian Interim Authority's removal of the Kurdish script from the nameplate of the Palace of Justice in Hasaka, replacing it with Arabic and English, before later retaining only Arabic. This inconsistent decision-making reflects an exclusionary mentality that is incompatible with the reality of Syria's multi-ethnic and multicultural society, and with Decree No. /13/ which does not fulfill the cultural aspirations of the Kurdish people, but despite that, we considered it a tentative start upon which to build.

The parties affirmed in the statement their support for and absolute solidarity with the right of the Kurds, as a political movement and a national mass, to use their mother tongue, and rejected any attempts to erase their national identity.

The statement warned that such dangerous actions could contribute to escalating tensions among the region's various communities. It also noted that these actions have prompted the Kurdish public to resist these persistent attempts to sow discord and undermine the terms of the January 29th Agreement.

The statement added that what exacerbates the danger of this behavior is the blatant contradiction in the Interim Authority' stance on other languages, as the presence of Turkish on signage in the occupied Kurdish areas and throughout northern Syria is not considered a violation of Syrian sovereignty; however, the Kurdish language is treated as unacceptable or illegitimate within their own cities and historical regions.

The statement emphasized that respecting the cultural and national rights of the Kurdish people, foremost among them their right to use their mother tongue in institutions and public spaces, is not a privilege granted, but a natural and legitimate right guaranteed by the principles of justice, human rights, and the values of genuine co-existence among the nation's diverse components.

It stressed that any national project seeking to build a stable, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria cannot be based on a mentality of denial and exclusion, but rather on mutual recognition and genuine partnership among all components, far away from policies that have historically proven their failure to produce stability and national unity, foremost among which is the recognition of the Kurdish language as an official language in Syria and its constitutional enshrinement, in addition to the full recognition of the legitimate national and patriotic rights of the Kurdish people in accordance with international covenants and agreements.

Kurdistan National Congress (KNC)

Democratic Union Party (PYD)

Democratic Green Party

Kurdistan Democratic Peace Party

Kurdish Liberal Party in Syria

Kurdistan Communist Party

Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria

Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria

Kurdish Left Party in Syria

Kurdish Democratic Left Party in Syria

Syria's Future Party

Kurdistan Democratic Change Party

Kurdistan Renewal Movement

Kurdistan Workers' Union

Arab National Body

Modernity and Democracy Party of Syria

Kurdish Democratic Accord Party of Syria

Reform Movement – Syria

Assyrian Democratic Party

Kurdistan Brotherhood Party

Kurdish Democratic Roj Party in Syria

Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM)

Kongra Star

Conservative Party

Democratic Struggle Party

Kurdistan Future Movement

Kurdistan Democratic Party – Western Kurdistan

Democratic Change Movement

Kurdistan National Rally Party

Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (al-Parti)

Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria

Revolutionary Left Party in Syria

Suraya Party

Kurdistan Conservative Party

Syrian Democratic Rally Party

Syrian Reformist Movement

Syrian Development and Construction Party

Armenian Union.