Syrian lawyers demand constitutional recognition of Kurdish

Reactions rejecting the Syrian transitional government’s Education Ministry decision of August 27, which limits Kurdish-language instruction to just three classes per week, continue amid calls to move from symbolic recognition of Kurdish to legally and constitutionally guaranteeing it as an official language in the country.

In this context, several lawyers from cities in the Jazira spoke to our agency, ANHA, about the importance of constitutionally and legally recognizing Kurdish as an official language.

Lawyer Rofand Khalaf said one of the main criticisms concerns the terminology used to describe Kurds. She explained that the Kurdish people live today on their own land and are not merely a component or minority, arguing that using such terms undermines their rights. She stressed that everyone understands the distinction between the concepts of a people and a minority.

She emphasized that education and learning in Kurdish should have official status across all state institutions, noting that the current struggle concerns terminology. She said that when terms are used correctly, Kurdish rights can be secured, stressing that the Kurdish people form part of the Syrian people.

Rofand Khalaf added that correcting the decree requires amendments, while enshrining the right in the Constitution would make it more difficult to change. She said what is needed at this stage is to secure a permanent constitutional right rather than a temporary right established through decrees and decisions that can be changed.

The Solution Lies in Enshrining Kurdish in the Constitution

Lawyer Hassan Bro, speaking about Decree No. 13 of 2026, issued by Transitional Government President Ahmed al-Sharaa in January this year, said the decree represents a positive step but recognizes Kurdish as a national language, rather than an official language.

Bro explained that a national language means that no one can prevent a person from speaking their language, while an official language means that it can be used in state institutions, schools and courts.

He added that this shortcoming should be addressed by enshrining Kurdish in the Constitution, through working with Parliament, political parties and Arab forces and making them partners in constitutionally securing this right, so that Kurdish becomes an official language throughout Syria.

He proposed that Kurdish and Arabic become the two official languages of Syria and that both be used across state institutions.

Bro also pointed out that the Kurdish issue has so far not been mentioned in the constitutional declaration, explaining that defining the state as having only one people denies the existence of other peoples. He considered the name “Syrian Arab Republic” an acknowledgment that this approach has been tied to Arab nationalism since the 1970 Constitution.

ANHA