NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — Hours after Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 13 of 2026, concerning the rights of the Kurdish people, to the exclusion of other peoples, in Syria, and recognizing their national, cultural, and social rights, a number of political actors in Syria, foremost among them representatives of Kurdish parties and institutions, released statements and remarks condemning the decree and criticizing its narrow scope.
In a statement, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES), said: “We, in the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, have followed the decree issued by Mr. Ahmad al-Shara, President of the Interim Government of Syria, concerning the rights of the Kurdish people in Syria.” The DAARNES went on to criticize that “rights are not safeguarded by temporary decrees, but are protected and consolidated through permanent constitutions that express the will of all the people and components.” DAARNES stressed that, “The issuance of any decree, regardless of its intentions, cannot constitute a true guarantee for the rights of Syria’s components unless it is part of a comprehensive constitutional framework that acknowledges and protects the rights of everyone without exception.”
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The DAARNES further addressed the provisions of the Social Contract of North and East Syria, stating that it reaffirms “the necessity of drafting a democratic and pluralistic constitution that safeguards, protects, and preserves the rights of all Syrian components, communities, and beliefs, as this diversity is the true source of Syria’s strength and beauty.”
It noted that, “While we see this decree as a first step, it does not meet the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people, who have made great sacrifices and waged a true revolution in order to attain their legitimate rights and build a democratic state where everyone enjoys a free and dignified life based on justice and equality.”
The DAARNES concluded its statement by reaffirming “the fundamental solution to the issue of rights and freedoms in Syria lies in a comprehensive national dialogue, and in a democratic, decentralized constitution that guarantees genuine partnership among all Syrians, laying the foundations for a state of citizenship and social justice.”
Salih Muslim, a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic Union Party (Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat, PYD), for his part, said in a statement to Al Arabiya / Al Hadath that it is not clear whether the decree is temporary or permanent. He added: “We are demanding constitutional rights safeguarded by the Syrian constitution, not by a republican decree, which is considered an attempt to throw dust in people’s eyes. Al-Sharaa , even if he is genuinely concerned about the DAARNES and other components, must implement the provisions of the March 10 agreement, which guarantees the rights of all Syrian components, not only the Kurds, as well as the April 1 agreement concerning the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh.”
Muslim stressed that “the Kurds are not alone. They are in a purely Syrian project in partnership with all components of the region,” adding that the decree, even if implemented or adhered to, relates to and concerns Kurds only. He considered the decree “a gesture of goodwill, but insufficient,” noting that “we, as the Kurdish people, the other peoples, and the parties of the region, have had our fill of sweet talk, and we want realistic constitutional measures that exist on the ground.” He further emphasized that canceling the March 10 agreement as a result of the new decree is completely unacceptable, “because we are demanding the rights of all components, not only the Kurds, considering that the Kurds are part of the agreement.”