The Ministry of Interior denies including the designation of "Syrian Arab" in the naturalization forms of Kurds
The director of civil affairs in Hasakah, Aziz al-Muhammed, confirmed that what is being circulated about the inclusion of the description of "Syrian Arab" in the naturalization forms related to the implementation of Decree 13 of 2026 related to the Kurds "is due to individual mistakes by the applicant during filling out the forms and does not reflect any official direction."
Pages and accounts on social media, including the "Network of Victims of Statelessness in Al-Hasakah", circulated information about the presence of the phrase "Syrian Arab" in the naturalization forms in some centers in Al-Hasakah province, including the accredited centers in Qamishli, Al-Malikiya,Al-Derbasiya and Al-Jawadiyah, considering that this harms the identity of the Kurdish component in Syria.
Al-Muhaimeed said in a statement published by the Al-Hasakah Information Directorate on Monday (April 13th) that the official instructions issued by the Ministry of Interior and the executive instructions of the decree "stipulate that only a Syrian should be written in the nationality field".
Al-Muhaimeed stressed the need to respect the Kurdish identity as an integral part of the national fabric, and that the directorate is working to provide the necessary facilities for Kurdish citizens to obtain citizenship in accordance with the legal frameworks, stressing the government's keenness to close the file of the "Maktoumin" left by the ousted regime and address its effects, and congratulated "the Kurdish brothers on the issuance of the decree that did justice to them."
Presidential Clarifications
Ahmed al-Hilali, spokesman for the presidential team in charge of implementing the January 29 agreement, said in a statement to Syria TV earlier, "Decree 13 did not abolish the name of the republic, so the name of the Syrian Arab Republic remained, and the citizen who belongs to this republic is a Syrian Arab citizen affiliated with the republic."
"This is a natural thing, and it exists in countries that have a national character, such as Turkey, for example, which includes citizens of Arab and Kurdish origins, in addition to Turks, and when they belong to the republic, they call themselves Turkish citizens, and this does not mean denying its basic nationality, or detracting from it, but it means belonging to the country that bears this name," he added.
"Decree 13 did not amend the name of the republic, but rather recognized and recognized the cultural rights of the Kurds, their political rights, and matters related to some ministries such as education, teaching in the Kurdish language, and other cultural and political rights of the Kurds," al-Hilali said.
What does Decree 13 include?
On January 16, President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued Decree (13), which stipulated that Syrian Kurdish citizens are considered an essential and authentic part of the Syrian people and that their cultural and linguistic identity is an integral part of Syria's multiple and unified national identity.
The second article of the decree stipulates the state's obligation to protect cultural and linguistic diversity, guarantee the right of Kurdish citizens to revive their heritage and arts, develop their mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty, and consider the Kurdish language as a national language, and allows it to be taught in public and private schools in areas where Kurds constitute a significant percentage of the population as part of the elective curriculum or as a cultural educational activity.
The decree abolished all laws and exceptional measures resulting from the 1962 census in al-Hasakah province and granted Syrian citizenship to citizens of Kurdish origin residing on all Syrian territory, including those who were not registered, with full equality of rights and duties.
One month extendable
The Ministry of Interior, through the Directorates of Civil Status, has started implementing Decree 13, to receive applications for citizenship as of Monday, April 6, 2026, in accordance with the new mechanisms that have been adopted, including the opening of specialized centers in the governorates of Al-Hasakah, Qamishli, Al-Derbasiyah, Al-Malikiyah and Al-Jawadiyah, in addition to centers and work committees in Aleppo, Deir Ezzor, Raqqa and Damascus, with the aim of facilitating procedures and reaching the largest segment of beneficiaries.
The Ministry confirmed that the documents required to apply are limited to an identification card and a residence permit only, stressing that all procedures are completely free of charge, and that the period for submitting applications has been set at one month, which can be extended if necessary.
In parallel, the Ministry of Education has begun to implement the cultural aspect of the decree, by introducing the Kurdish language in educational curricula and schools, in line with the new directions aimed at promoting cultural diversity within the national framework.