Abdurrahman Mustafa | |
---|---|
عبد الرحمن مصطفى | |
Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim Government | |
Assumed office 30 June 2019 | |
President | Anas al-Abdah Salem al-Meslet Hadi al-Bahra |
Preceded by | Jawad Abu Hatab |
President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces | |
In office 9 March 2018 – 29 June 2019 | |
Prime Minister | Jawad Abu Hatab |
Preceded by | Riad Seif |
Succeeded by | Anas al-Abdah |
President of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly | |
Assumed office 10 May 2014 | |
Preceded by | Fayez Amro |
Personal details | |
Born | 1964 (age 60–61) Aleppo, Baathist Syria |
Education | University of Aleppo |
Abdurrahman Mustafa (born 1964) is a Syrian Turkmen politician who is the incumbent Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim Government and president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly, the umbrella organization of the Turkmen national movements in Syria.[1] Between March 2018 and his appointment as Prime Minister of the interim government, he was President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.[2]
Having served as one of the founder members of the Syrian Turkmen Platform, the predecessor political organization of Turkmen which was founded on 15 December 2012,[3] Mustafa was elected as the first Vice-President of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly following its foundation on 29 March 2013 with an official ceremony where Samir Hafız was elected as the first president of the assembly and back-then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, back-then Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoğlu, back-then President of the National Coalition Moaz al-Khatib and Turkish opposition politicians from Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have attended and gave speeches.[3]
After the assembly's second general meeting, Mustafa was elected[4] as the president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly with the majority of votes by 360 Syrian Turkmen delegates cast during the assembly elections on 10 May 2014.[3] Politicians such as Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoğlu,[5] President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces George Sabra, Erşat Hürmüzlü, Mehmet Şandır, Fuat Oktay and Ahmet Tuma have personally attended the meeting,[3][6] while Turkish President Abdullah Gül, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Cemil Çiçek and leader of Republican People's Party, the Turkish main-opposition, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu have sent speeches and congratulations which were addressed at the meeting.[3][6] Since his assuming of the presidency, the activities of Mustafa and the assembly have intensified dramatically including the designation of Syrian Turkmen Brigades as the assembly's military wing,[7] official declaration of the Syrian Turkmen flag,[8] more coordinated attacks seeking the benefit of Turkmen and Syrian opposition[9][10][11] and stronger coordination and cooperation with US and Turkey on the fight against ISIL on Azaz-Jarabulus line, becoming a key organization among which USA has close ties with and states as the "moderate rebels/opposition".[12][13] As a result, Mustafa became a leading Turkmen leader and a key character of Syrian Civil War for Turkey in the first place.[14][15]
He continues to serve as the president of the assembly, receiving open support from Turkey and the Gulf States, namely, Saudi Arabia (before the split) and Qatar, also receiving the support of United States with regards to being a part of "the moderate opposition".[3][14][15]
Syrian Turkmen Assembly, under the leadership of Mustafa has been officially representing Syrian Turkmens in ongoing Geneva peace talks on Syria as an official diplomatic part of the Syrian Opposition with 1 to 3 Turkmen delegates, all headed by Abdurrahman Mustafa.