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The former general of the newly dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, gave an interview to a Turkish TV channel. It is a development that would have seemed inconceivable only a few years ago, like many things that have happened in Syria since the beginning of December 2024.
The incredibly scripted, robotic, and unnatural interview was an apparent attempt by Abdi to reach out to the Turkish public. However, the channel and the journalist he chose signaled that the primary audience for his appearance was the pro-PKK audience in Türkiye rather than the broader Turkish public.
While the interview contains much information about the situation in Syria, I will focus on the two most important messages he sent to the Turkish public and evaluate whether he was convincing.
In his interview and the apparently pre-planned questions, Abdi spent a lot of time trying to convince skeptics among the PKK support base in Türkiye.
He underlined the wins for Kurds in Syria and framed a picture where Kurds no longer deserve to die and can gain their rights via peaceful means. He emphasized the continued political struggle and explained the cultural, social, and political gains for Kurds. On the other hand, he also made it quite clear that rejecting a deal would lead to the misery of Kurds in Syria and block the pathway towards the rights they have gained.
This rhetoric was of utmost importance as it fits into the overall narrative of the current "Terror-free Türkiye" process.
Syria was the area where the PKK and its supporters (mostly Turkish-speaking Kurds in Türkiye and Europe) saw a success story. For them, their dream collapsed. And Abdi gave them an alternative narrative that is peaceful. I believe his comments have helped and can further help to convince PKK supporters and members to distance themselves from terror and pursue their rights via legal politics.
Abdi openly said he wants to come to Türkiye and have good relations with the Turkish state.
Reinforcing this cooperative stance, he stated: "Türkiye can play a positive role in the reconstruction of Syria, especially economically or in other matters. I believe it will play this role. I also believe that the ongoing peace process between Imrali and the Turkish state will have a positive impact on the resolution of the Kurdish issue in Syria."
Seeing that the deputy defense minister of Syria and former commander of the SDF, Sipan Hemo, was removed from Türkiye’s terrorism list, Abdi has grounds to hope for this. However, his situation is much different from Hemo's or the governor of Hasakah, Nureddin Issa Ahmad. Neither Hemo nor Ahmad is directly responsible for any PKK terror attacks in Türkiye that killed civilians.
Abdi, on the other hand, has the blood of hundreds of Turkish citizens on his hands. Before moving to Syria, he oversaw the PKK’s urban terror cells. To genuinely mend ties with Türkiye, he must distance himself from his past. I understand that it may be hard for him to publicly and directly apologize due to several factors, but he must come up with a framing for an apology that will show goodwill towards the Turkish people.
This responsibility also includes the Syrian president. While Türkiye understands the dynamics in Syria, at some point tensions may arise over the fact that a major adviser to the Syrian president has not shown any remorse about the killing of hundreds of Turkish citizens.
Given this long-standing record of terrorism, it would be naive to expect the Turkish government to readily accept Abdi into any formal and quick dialogue at the highest levels.
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