After Sharaa signs decree affirming Kurds' rights in Syria, military launches op against PKK, SDF

Syrian President Ahmed Al‑Sharaa on Friday issued a decree affirming that Syria’s Kurdish citizens “are an integral and authentic part of the Syrian people, and that their cultural and linguistic identity is an inseparable component of Syria’s unified and diverse national identity.” Shortly thereafter, the Syrian military launched an operation against positions “of the terrorist PKK militias and remnants of the ousted regime allied with the SDF organization” in Dayr Hafir, east of Aleppo.

In a speech, Al-Sharaa said that the decree guarantees Syrian Kurds their rights and certain specificities within the text of the law, and "opens the door to safe return and full participation in building a single homeland spacious enough for all its children."

“Our Kurdish brothers, descendants of Salah al‑Din, beware of believing the narrative that we wish harm upon our Kurdish people. By God, whoever harms you is our adversary until the Day of Judgment. Your life is our life, and we seek only the welfare of the nation and its people, development, reconstruction, and the unity of the country,” Al-Sharaa said in a speech announcing the decree. 

“I urge all those who were forcibly displaced from their land to return safely and securely, without any condition or restriction other than laying down arms. I call upon you to actively participate in building this nation, preserving its safety and unity, and to reject anything that goes against these goals.“