Before the Kurdish withdrawal, President al-Sharaa said he would make Kurdish a national language, and recognise the Kurdish new year as an official holiday.
The decree, announced on Friday, is the first formal recognition of Kurdish national rights since Syria’s independence in 1946. It stated that Kurds were “an essential and integral part” of Syria, where they have endured decades of oppression under previous rulers.
Despite the apparent easing of tensions, disagreements linger. In response to the decree, the Kurdish administration in Syria’s north and north-east said it was “a first step” but called for “permanent constitutions that express the will of the people”, rather than “temporary decrees”.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement. Syria’s army said two of its soldiers had been killed by Kurdish forces as the military moved in, while the SDF accused Damascus of sending troops in early.
Kurdish forces have been controlling swathes of Syria’s oil-rich north and north-east, much of it gained during the civil war and the fight against the Islamic State group over the past decade.
Following the ousting of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, President al-Sharaa has been seeking to integrate the Kurdish bodies into Syrian institutions.
In March 2025, the SDF signed a deal with the government to that effect. Almost a year on, the agreement is still not implemented, with each sides blaming the other.