Syrian Turkmen demonstrate in Istanbul for the teaching of the Turkish language in Syrian schools, in October 2026. (Credit: Syrian MP Tarik Cevezci on his X account)
Crowds gathered in the streets of Hassakeh, in northeastern Syria, on Oct. 8 to watch the flag of the new Syrian authorities being raised in the city’s main square, renamed “Peace Square.” One month after the dissolution of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces and nearly two years after the end of the Assad dictatorship, the state has returned. In some Kurdish neighborhoods, however, residents make no secret of their dismay. While the agreement with President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government formalizes the Kurdish language’s “national” status and institutionalizes its teaching in schools, it also marks the end of the Kurdish autonomous administration in the northeast. From our archives In Syria, the Kurds' integration is also playing out on school benches A third group, meanwhile, appears to envy the rights the Kurds have won:...
Crowds gathered in the streets of Hassakeh, in northeastern Syria, on Oct. 8 to watch the flag of the new Syrian authorities being raised in the city’s main square, renamed “Peace Square.” One month after the dissolution of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces and nearly two years after the end of the Assad dictatorship, the state has returned. In some Kurdish neighborhoods, however, residents make no secret of their dismay. While the agreement with President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government formalizes the Kurdish language’s “national” status and institutionalizes its teaching in schools, it also marks the end of the Kurdish autonomous administration in the northeast. From our archives In Syria, the Kurds' integration is also playing out on school benches A third group, meanwhile, appears to envy the rights the...
