Talal Silo

Talal Ali Silo (طلال سلو; also transliterated Telal Silo, Talal Sallou) is a Syrian Turkmen^[3] former military personnel who was the official Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesperson from 2014 until his surrender or defection^[4] to Turkey in November 2017, covering major SDF operations and battles against the militant group ISIL.^[5][6] His departure marked the first major defection among the SDF's top ranks.^[3]

Talal Silo طلال سلو
Silo in 2016
Birth name	Talal Ali Silo طلال علي سلو
Born	1965 (age 59–60)[1] Al-Rai, Syria[2]
Allegiance	Syrian Arab Republic (1985–2004) Syrian Turkmen Assembly (2013–2015) Syrian Democratic Forces (2015–2017)
Branch	Syrian Armed Forces (1985–2004)
Rank	Colonel
Unit	Seljuk Brigade (2013–2015) Army of Revolutionaries (2015)
Commands	Spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces (2015–17) Commander of the Seljuk Brigade (2013–15)
Battles / wars	Syrian Civil War Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War 2015 al-Hawl offensive Tishrin Dam offensive Al-Shaddadi offensive (2016) Manbij offensive (2016) Turkish military intervention in Syria Raqqa campaign (2016–2017) Battle of Raqqa (2017)

During an interview, he claimed that during the SDF's capture of Raqqa from ISIL, thousands of ISIL fighters—far more than initially reported—left the city as part of a secret agreement approved by the U.S. However, U.S. officials dismissed Silo's statements as “false and fabricated.”^[7] The agreement is considered by some as a strategic maneuver by the SDF and coalition forces.^[8] The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian National Army (SNA) have offered differing accounts regarding the reasons for Silo's departure, highlighting the ongoing complexities of the Syrian Civil War.^[3]

See also

• Seljuk Brigade
• Syrian Democratic Forces