Mazlum Abdi to move to Damascus as presidential adviser

September 5, 2026 at 05:52 PM2 min

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Mazlum Abdi, former SDF commander, plans to move permanently from Hasakah to Damascus after being appointed presidential adviser by Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He has not yet officially assumed the role. The move follows the dissolution of the SDF and its integration into Syrian state institutions.

Key Facts

Mazlum Abdi was appointed presidential adviser by Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa via a decree issued a few days ago.
Abdi plans to move permanently from Hasakah to Damascus, leaving a base of the US-led international coalition.
Turkey is reportedly planning to remove Abdi's name from its terror lists, according to a source close to the Syrian government.
Abdi removed the SDF flag from his X account cover image and changed his profile title from 'SDF Commander' to 'Syrian Presidential Adviser'.

New Role and Responsibilities

The decree issued by President al-Sharaa did not specify the details of Abdi's duties and powers. A source familiar with the matter said Abdi's role will be limited to managing the Kurdish file inside and outside Syria. Abdi will follow the work of planned constitutional and legal committees, where the status of Kurds in the Syrian constitution is expected to be addressed. He will also coordinate contacts with Kurdish actors outside Syria.

Pending Field Issues

Before moving to Damascus, Abdi is expected to resolve several field files, including the return of displaced Kurds to their cities. Another pending issue is the handover of heavy weapons remaining with the dissolved SDF to the Syrian army. Abdi announced in late August at the People's Palace in Damascus that the SDF, the structure they called the 'Kurdish Autonomous Administration', and affiliated military and civilian formations were dissolved.

Turkey and Terror Lists

A source close to the Syrian government claimed that Turkey is planning to remove Mazlum Abdi's name from its terror lists. The Damascus administration is reportedly working through the Foreign Ministry to resolve this issue with Ankara. Siban Hamo, formerly of the SDF and later appointed Syrian Deputy Defense Minister, was previously removed from Turkey's terror list.