Abdurrahman Mustafa | |
|---|---|
عبد الرحمن مصطفى | |
.jpg) Mustafa in 2014 | |
| Prime Minister of theSyrian Interim Government | |
| In office 30 June 2019 – 30 January 2025 | |
| President | Anas al-Abdah Salem al-Meslet Hadi al-Bahra |
| Preceded by | Jawad Abu Hatab |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed al-Bashir (asPrime Minister of Syria) |
| President of theNational Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces | |
| In office 28 February 2018 – 29 June 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Jawad Abu Hatab |
| Preceded by | Riad Seif |
| Succeeded by | Anas al-Abdah |
| President of theSyrian Turkmen Assembly | |
| Assumed office 10 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Fayez Amro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1964-01-01)1 January 1964 (age 61) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Syrian National Coalition(2013–2025) Syrian Turkmen Assembly(since 2012) |
| Education | University of Aleppo (BA) |
Abdurrahman Mustafa (Arabic:عبد الرحمن مصطفى; born 1 January 1964) is aSyrian politician and businessman who has served as president of theSyrian Turkmen Assembly since 2014.[1] During theSyrian civil war, Mustafa was active within theSyrian opposition, holding several key positions including President of theNational Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces from 2018 to 2019, and Prime Minister of theSyrian Interim Government from 2019 until 2025.[2][3]
Abdurrahman Mustafa was born in 1964, in theTurkmen village ofTell Hajar (Turkish:Taşlıhüyük) in theAleppo Governorate of Syria. Mustafa is a Sunni Muslim ofTurkish origin andSyrian Turkmen ethnicity. He is married.[4][5]
Mustafa studied at the School of Commerce of theUniversity of Aleppo, where he earned abachelor's degree in Business and Management in 1984.[4][5][6] In addition toArabic, he is fluent inTurkish and has knowledge ofEnglish.[5]
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 inLibya for Kotaman A.Ş, later becoming the company's Regional Director.[4][5] Between 1993 and 1996, he was involved in trade activities inBulgaria andTurkey.
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 theSyrian civil war in 2011.[4][5]
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 aSyria Direct report, Mustafa's rise in the Syrian Turkmen Assembly and more generally among the Syrian opposition was sponsored byTurkish authorities and byRecep Tayyip Erdoğan personally.[6]
On 10 May 2014, Mustafa was elected president of theSyrian 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 theSyrian Turkmen Brigades as its armed wing,[9] declared the Syrian Turkmen flag as a national symbol,[10] and pursued more coordinated efforts alongside the broaderopposition.[11][12][13] The Assembly also developed closer ties with Turkey and the United States in thewar against the Islamic State, particularly along theAzaz–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) andQatar, 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 2016Geneva III peace talks as an official component of the broader Syrian opposition.
Following theSyrian National Coalition’s expansion, theSyrian Turkmen Assembly was granted membership, increasing Turkmen representation within the coalition. In May 2017, Mustafa was elected vice president of the Coalition under presidentRiad 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-sponsoredSochi peace talks.[6]
In September 2019, Mustafa was appointed head of theSyrian Interim Government (SIG). His nomination reportedly followed Turkish requests for a leadership change, replacing his predecessorJawad Abu Hatab. Reports suggest that Turkey initially consideredAnas al-Abdah for the role but ultimately supported a position swap with Mustafa, whom it perceived as more aligned with its objectives. As Prime Minister, Mustafa restructured relations between the SIG and theSyrian 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 facilitatingHadi 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 theSyrian Interim Government. His nomination apparently occurred also at the request of the Turkish government, who had repeatedly asked for the removal of his predecessorJawad 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 gettingHadi 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 theSyrian caretaker government.[19] He later met with PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on 19 March 2025 to discuss the political transition.[20]
