Nawwaf Rashid: Decree No. 13 of 2026 Is a Step in the Right Direction, Albeit a Delayed One

ARK News.. Nawwaf Rashid, a member of the Kurdistan Region’s representation within the Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Syria, described the decree issued by Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Kurdish rights as “a step in the right direction,” though a belated one.

In a statement to Ark News, Rashid said that “this shift did not come out of nowhere, but was the result of pressure exerted by regional and international powers, foremost among them the United States and France, to ensure that the exclusionary policies practiced prior to 2011 are not repeated.”

Rashid stressed that presidential decrees alone are insufficient, describing them as “liable to cancellation or misinterpretation” unless they are clearly enshrined and firmly in Syria’s new constitution.

He added: “Our demands go beyond cultural and civil rights. We need explicit constitutional recognition of Kurdish identity and of the Kurdish language as an official language in Kurdish regions, along with political guarantees that prevent a return to square one.”

Rashid emphasized that the optimal solution for Syria’s future lies in “administrative decentralization,” whereby residents of each region are able to manage their own local affairs—including security, education, and services. He argued that this model represents the only real guarantee for preserving Syria’s territorial unity and preventing fragmentation, while safeguarding the particularities of its national and religious components, foremost among them Kurds and Druze.

He concluded by stating that the Kurdish National Council is closely monitoring developments and will issue an official statement clarifying its detailed position on the proposals of the new administration, reaffirming that “the Kurds’ hand remains extended for peace and comprehensive national dialogue leading to a democratic, pluralistic Syria for all its citizens.”

45