ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian authorities on Thursday removed a billboard on the Justice Palace in Hasaka in the predominantly Kurdish northeast of Syria (Rojava) that featured Kurdish and Arabic, replacing it with one in English and Arabic.
The move sparked public anger, with locals chanting “Kurdistan.” Residents later forcibly removed the newly installed billboard.
The development comes as efforts are underway to integrate Rojava’s civilian and military institutions into state structures.
The move against the Kurdish language comes despite a recent presidential decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language.
Damascus has yet to explain why Kurdish was removed from the billboard.
In a similar move in the Kurdish city of Kobane, Syrian authorities initially added only Arabic to locality billboards. Kurdish was later added following public outcry.