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Abdurrahman Mustafa
Syrian politician (born 1964) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Abdurrahman Mustafa (Arabic: عبد الرحمن مصطفى; born 1 January 1964) is a Syrian Turkmen politician and businessman who has served as president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly since 2014.[1] During the Syrian civil war, Mustafa was active within the Syrian opposition, holding several key positions including President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces from 2018 to 2019, and Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim Government from 2019 until 2025.[2][3]
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Early life and education
Abdurrahman Mustafa was born in 1964, in the Turkmen village of Tell Hajar (Turkish:Taşlıhüyük) in the Aleppo Governorate of Syria. Mustafa is a Sunni Muslim of Turkish origin and Syrian Turkmen ethnicity. He is married.[4][5]
Mustafa studied at the School of Commerce of the University of Aleppo, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Business and Management in 1984.[4][5][6] In addition to Arabic, he is fluent in Turkish and has knowledge of English.[5]
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Business career
After graduating, Mustafa held various positions in the private sector across several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Libya, and Bulgaria. In 1988, he was appointed Director of Finance and Administration in Libya for Kotaman A.Ş, later becoming the company's Regional Director.[4][5] Between 1993 and 1996, he was involved in trade activities in Bulgaria and Turkey.
In 1996, Mustafa joined the Turkish-based Özkesoğlu Group, where he held roles such as Regional Director for Libya and later for Syria. He remained with the company until 2012, when he left the business sector to become more actively involved in politics following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.[4][5]
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Political career
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Mustafa was one of the founding members of the Syrian Turkmen Platform, an organization which was founded on 15 December 2012.[7] When the Syrian Turkmen Assembly was founded on May 2013, becoming the successor organization of the Syrian Turkmen Platform,[7] Mustafa applied for membership but was not elected. He was subsequently hired as a party employee. In September 2013, when the Syrian Turkmen Assembly held new internal elections, Mustafa won a seat and was elected Vice president. According to a Syria Direct report, Mustafa's rise in the Syrian Turkmen Assembly and more generally among the Syrian opposition was sponsored by Turkish authorities and by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally.[6]
On 10 May 2014, Mustafa was elected president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly with the majority of votes from 360 delegates.[7][8] During his tenure, the Assembly's activities became more organized and visible. Under his leadership, the Assembly officially affiliated with the Syrian Turkmen Brigades as its armed wing,[9] declared the Syrian Turkmen flag as a national symbol,[10] and pursued more coordinated efforts alongside the broader opposition.[11][12][13] The Assembly also developed closer ties with Turkey and the United States in the war against the Islamic State, particularly along the Azaz–Jarabulus corridor, and was recognized by several international actors as part of the "moderate opposition."[14][15]
Mustafa received support from Turkey, as well as from Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia (prior to regional policy shifts) and Qatar, and was viewed by the United States as a representative of moderate opposition factions.[7][16][17] He led the Syrian Turkmen delegation during the 2016 Geneva III peace talks as an official component of the broader Syrian opposition.
Following the Syrian National Coalition’s expansion, the Syrian Turkmen Assembly was granted membership, increasing Turkmen representation within the coalition. In May 2017, Mustafa was elected vice president of the Coalition under president Riad Seif.[6] Tensions reportedly arose between Seif and Mustafa during this period, and after Seif’s resignation due to health concerns, Mustafa succeeded him. He was later elected president in an uncontested vote. According to former coalition officials, his appointment was supported by Turkey, which sought a cooperative representative for the Russian-sponsored Sochi peace talks.[6]
In September 2019, Mustafa was appointed head of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG). His nomination reportedly followed Turkish requests for a leadership change, replacing his predecessor Jawad Abu Hatab. Reports suggest that Turkey initially considered Anas al-Abdah for the role but ultimately supported a position swap with Mustafa, whom it perceived as more aligned with its objectives.[2] As Prime Minister, Mustafa restructured relations between the SIG and the Syrian National Coalition, refusing to resign from the SNC and prompting a change in its internal rules. He also rejected subordinating the SIG to the SNC and was instrumental in facilitating Hadi al-Bahra’s return as SNC president.[6][18] Analysts have noted that Mustafa played a central role in aligning the SNC more closely with Turkish strategic interests.[6]
In September 2019, Mustafa became the head of the Syrian Interim Government. His nomination apparently occurred also at the request of the Turkish government, who had repeatedly asked for the removal of his predecessor Jawad Abu Hatab. According to Syria Direct's report, Anas al-Abdah was initially considered for the post of prime minister of the SIG, but Turkey decided to switch his position with Mustafa's, seeing the latter as more compliant. Mustafa's leadership redefined the relationship between the SNC and the SIG: he refused to relinquish his membership once he assumed the presidency of the SIG, and the SNC was forced to amend its internal rules. Mustafa also rejected the SIG's subordination to the SNC. He was later influential in getting Hadi al-Bahra to return as president of the SNC. Overall, Mustafa played a key role in the SNC's subordination to Turkish interests.
Following the collapse of the Assad regime, Mustafa announced on 30 January 2025 that the SIG would place itself "at the disposal" of the Syrian caretaker government.[19] He later met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on 19 March 2025 to discuss the political transition.[20]
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References
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