ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior official from the Kurdish-led administration of northeast Syria (Rojava) has reaffirmed the community’s call for recognition of the Kurdish mother tongue to be enshrined in the Syrian constitution, despite a recent presidential move elevating it to a “national language” that left Kurdish officials wary that the decision could be reversible.
Elham Ahmed, co-chair of the foreign relations office at the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), said: “We want to continue our efforts until our [language] rights are guaranteed in the [Syrian] constitution. We must pursue such a struggle for constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language.”
She further noted that “in Rojava, education is provided in Kurdish,” adding that maintaining “education in the Kurdish language is a fundamental priority for us and an essential part of our struggle.”
Authorities in Rojava have since 2012 implemented a distinct curriculum featuring instruction in the Kurdish language, separate from the Syrian state system.
Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - which operates as the de facto army in Rojava - reached a landmark agreement on January 29 that established a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire and called for the integration of Rojava’s civil and military institutions under Syrian state control.
The two sides have since been holding talks to implement the deal, with education emerging as a central issue in the negotiations.
The Syrian government has so far agreed to recognize the legal status of all diplomas and certificates issued by schools and institutes run by the DAANES as these are being brought into the national accreditation framework.
Regarding Kurdish curriculum and language rights, Syrian interim President
Ahmed al-Sharaa in January issued Presidential Decree 13, elevating Kurdish to a “national language,” while maintaining Arabic as the sole official language of Syria.
While the latter move is seen as a breakthrough, Kurdish officials worry it may be temporary and potentially reversible, prompting calls for language rights to be enshrined in the constitution.
Speaking at the gravestone of Miqdad Midhat Bedir Khan - who published the first Kurdish newspaper named Kurdistan in Cairo in 1898 - Ahmed honored the late scholar, noting his efforts in countering historical attempts “to suppress the Kurdish language and erase our history.”
“Thanks to the efforts and dedication of such individuals, pioneers who carried a heavy burden, worked and sacrificed beyond their capacity, and faced great risks to advance the language, the Kurdish language has continued to progress,” the senior Rojava official added.
“This is why we will continue our efforts until we achieve victory,” Ahmed vowed.