Turkey removes Mazloum Abdi from terrorism list

According to Kurdistan Press, on Thursday, September 3, 2026, the Turkish Interior Ministry removed the name of Mazloum Abdi, who was previously on the country's list of wanted terrorists with various titles and charges, from this list. This move came after the Syrian interim government appointed him as an advisor to the presidency and could indicate changes in Ankara's approach towards the new political structure of Syria and the position of the Kurds in the country.According to Turkish media reports, the name of “Mustafa Khalil Abdi”, known as Mazloum Abdi, was previously on the list of wanted persons by the Turkish Ministry of Interior and charges related to terrorist activities had been raised against him.

This decision was made while Mazloum Abdi was appointed to an official position in the presidential structure of the country by the Syrian interim government in recent days. On August 28, 2026, the head of the Syrian interim government, Ahmed Al-Shara, issued Presidential Decree No. 164, appointing Abdi as an advisor to the Syrian presidential institution.

The removal of Abdi’s name from the Turkish list had also occurred previously in the case of Sipan Hamu. Hamu was removed from the Turkish list of wanted persons after he was appointed to a senior position in the Syrian Ministry of Defense.Turkish officials have not yet commented directly on the removal of Mazloum Abdi from the list, but analysts are evaluating the move in the context of political developments and new balances in the region, as well as the diplomatic process between Ankara and the new government in Damascus.

This development also occurred after the announcement of the end of the independent activities of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Mazloum Abdi announced on August 25, 2026, that the mission and structure of the SDF as an independent military formation had ended; a move that was made within the framework of the process of integrating the forces of this structure into the institutions of the Syrian government.

Abdi's appointment as an advisor to the Syrian presidency and the removal of his name from the Turkish terrorism list came at a time when the future of relations between Damascus and Kurdish forces, as well as the integration of the military and political structures of northern and eastern Syria, remain important issues in the country's developments.