Abdi: We'll struggle to secure Kurdish rights in constitution

Syrian presidential adviser Mazloum Abdi said today that the next phase requires a constitutional struggle to secure Kurdish rights and ensure that the provisions of agreements reached with Syria’s transitional government are incorporated into the Constitution.

Speaking at the MERI Forum 2026 in Hawler, in the Kurdistan Region of Southern Kurdistan, Abdi said Syria had entered a new phase following the fall of the Baath regime, stressing the need for joint efforts to establish a new system of governance that guarantees the participation of all communities.

He said the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian army, as well as the integration of administrative institutions in Hasakah, had been underway for nine months. The process faces obstacles, he noted, despite the Syrian state’s willingness and international support for its continuation.

Abdi explained that the agreement with the Syrian government took into account the specific circumstances of Kurdish areas in Hasakah and Aleppo, including Jazira, Kobani and Afrin. He also pointed to the integration of SDF members into the Syrian army, security agencies and state institutions.

On linguistic and educational rights, Abdi said negotiations were continuing to address outstanding issues in Afrin and Kobani, adding that progress had been made on the language file. He also noted that educational curricula were available in Kurdish and Arabic, and that Kurdish universities would continue teaching in Kurdish over the next five years.

Abdi stressed that building trust between Kurds and the Syrian government requires concrete steps, noting that Kurdish representation in ministries and progress on language rights remained below expectations. He said Kurds had faced marginalization and exclusion during earlier periods of Syria’s history, but signs of growing trust had begun to emerge following the fall of the former regime.

On Kurdish politics, Abdi called for greater unity among Kurdish forces in Syria, emphasizing that the gains achieved must benefit all Kurds and Syrians. He added that new steps would be taken soon to support national unity among Kurds in Rojava.

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ANHA