Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Syria’s government has allowed Kurdish to be taught but has yet to recognize it officially or include it in the constitution, Gharib Hasso, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), said on Wednesday.

Hasso told Shafaq News that the Syrian Education Ministry’s decision allowing three hours of Kurdish-language instruction per week was “insufficient,” particularly because the classes are optional.

Hasso argued that the country should recognize all communities following the fall of the Baathist government. “Limiting Kurdish instruction could eventually lead Kurdish students to rely solely on Arabic for their education and writing, which could contribute to the language’s decline.”

“Our demand is for Kurdish to become an official language alongside Arabic,” he said, adding that other communities should also have the opportunity to learn it.

Hasso described the Education Ministry’s decision as “political” and called for a comprehensive approach to Kurdish-language education to prevent future disputes. He also accused the Damascus government of seeking to gradually restrict Kurdish instruction and potentially eliminate the limited teaching hours.

He further accused Turkiye of obstructing official recognition of Kurdish in Syria and called on Ankara to support its inclusion as an official language in the country’s new constitution.

Addressing the Kurdish presence, Hasso said Kurds have a longstanding presence in Syria, adding that part of Kurdistan lies within Syrian territory and that hundreds of thousands of Kurds also live in cities elsewhere in the country.

Read more: Kurds in Syria: From marginalization to a defining political force