Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sacked the governor of the city of Homms on Wednesday and granted citizenship to Kurds who had formerly been deprived of Syrian nationality, DPA reported.
Governor Mohamed Iyad Ghazal was removed from his post upon the demands of citizens of the central city of Homms, who accused Ghazal of corruption, state news agency SANA reported.
Al-Assad also issued a decree granting Syrian citizenship to "those registered as foreigners," according to SANA.
The decree targets Syria's large population of ethnic Kurds, who have been protesting for equal citizenship rights in recent weeks.
Around 20 per cent of the country's ethnic Kurdish population were deprived of citizenship after a controversial 1962 government census in the governorate of Hassake.
They are banned from jobs in the public sector as they are not citizens.
"In a way al-Assad is trying to absorb the Kurds by giving them citizenship," a Syrian activists who requested anonymity told the German Press Agency dpa.
Kurds, who make up about 10-15 per cent of Syria's population of 20 million, launched widespread demonstrations against the Syrian government in 2004.
Meanwhile, activists on the social network Facebook called for mass protests on Friday to demand al-Assad's ouster.
"Tomorrow, on the Friday of Resistance, we will protest in all of Syria's districts until we gain freedom," the Facebook group named The Syrian Revolution 2011 posted.
Al-Assad appointed a new prime minister on Sunday, days after his cabinet resigned in an effort to calm widespread anti-government protests.
Dozens are feared to have died in violent government crackdowns on pro-reform protesters in Syria in recent weeks.
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