Turkey Reportedly Removes Mazloum Abdi from Terrorist List
Abdi, who had previously been listed by Turkish authorities over allegations linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is now reportedly no longer included on the Interior Ministry’s terrorist list.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Turkey’s Interior Ministry has reportedly removed Mazloum Abdi, the former commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), from its list of designated terrorists, according to Manşet Haber and other unofficial Turkish media outlets.
The reported decision came on Thursday, following Abdi’s appointment as an adviser to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Turkish authorities have not yet issued an official statement confirming the removal.
Abdi, who had previously been listed by Turkish authorities over allegations linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is now reportedly no longer included on the Interior Ministry’s terrorist list.
The development follows a similar case involving Sipan Hamo, another senior Kurdish commander whose name was reportedly removed from Turkey’s list after he was appointed to a senior position in Syria’s Ministry of Defense.
The reported move comes amid major political and military changes in Syria and an ongoing diplomatic process between Ankara and the new Syrian government. It could signal a shift in Turkey’s approach toward former SDF commanders who are being incorporated into Syria’s state institutions.
The development follows Abdi’s announcement on August 25 that the SDF’s mission had ended and that the force would be dissolved as an independent military formation.
Three days later, on August 28, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Presidential Decree No. 164 of 2026, officially appointing Mustafa Khalil Abdi, known as Mazloum Abdi, as an adviser to the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The reported removal remains unconfirmed by Turkish authorities.