Perhaps the Syrian crisis, which has been going on for more than a decade, reflects the state of the mother tongues in the country. The situation is divided between neglect and disregard for languages other than Arabic in government-held areas, and attempts to consolidate the experience of multilingualism in the areas run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), in addition to obligating education in the Turkish language in areas occupied by Turkey and the affiliated opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA).

Damascus: Arabic a priority, language of ally preferred

Throughout the rule of the Baath Party in Syria, the Arabic language has been the official language across the country, while the languages of the rest of the communities such as Kurdish and Syriac were prohibited. Whoever tried to teach or learn Kurdish or Syriac were either arrested or forcibly disappeared.

Observers suggest that after a decade of war, Damascus is still ignoring the rest of the languages in the areas it controls, which is estimated at 63% of the area of Syria, and foreign languages, led by Russia, top its list of interests.

On Dec. 18, 2021, the Russian Language Forum was held in the amphitheater of Damascus University, coinciding with the International Day of the Arabic Language.

The Presidency of Damascus University participated in the Russian Language Forum, which came under the title “Promoting the Study of Russian Language at the Educational Institutes in Syria.”

Turkish is official in Syrian regions

Turkey, in cooperation with the SNA factions, is seeking to impose the Turkish language in the areas it occupies in the northwest of the country, estimated at about 10% of the country’s area.

Since early in 2017/2018, the Turkish language has become compulsory in schools, in addition to changing the textbooks and teaching some materials in the Turkish language.

The Turkish forces are controlling different parts of northern Syria through SNA factions in Jarablus, Azaz, al-Bab and Afrin in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

Additionally, Turkey is occupying Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad regions in north and northeast Syria, while other Turkish-backed SNA factions are occupying Idlib Governorate.

Activists and observers believe that Turkey is following the Turkification policy in the Syrian north through education and other means in preparation for an expansionist plan or to annex parts of Syria to its territory.

On Feb. 5, 2021, the Higher Institute of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine was found in al-Ra’i town, north of Aleppo, by a decree issued by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

North Press obtained special photos from the village of Mashala, in Sharran district, east of Afrin, showing students attending a school where the Turkish flag was raised and the Turkish language is taught.

New experience faces criticism

In northeast Syria, the AANES adopts the mother tongue education system, which recognizes the study of each community in its mother tongue, such as Kurdish, Arabic and Syriac, in addition to subjects for local and foreign languages.

In a dialogue forum organized on the IMLD on Feb. 21, 2021, the Education Board of the AANES called on forming a broad front to promote the rights of minorities and ethnicities in the field of language, in coordination with civil and legal bodies.

Numerous criticisms are directed by opponents of the AANES, such as that the educational system is not recognized and that the teaching staff lacks experience and academic qualifications.

On Feb. 16, UNESCO issued a press release calling for countries to pursue a policy of multilingual education.

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