Abdurrahman Mustafa

Abdurrahman Mustafa (; born 1 January 1964) is a Syrian politician and businessman who has served as a member of the People's Assembly since 2026. He has served as president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly since 2026, having previously held the office from 2014 to 2016.

During the Syrian civil war, Mustafa emerged as a leading figure within the Syrian opposition, holding several key positions including President of the Syrian National Coalition from 2018 to 2019, and Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim Government from 2019 until its dissolution in 2025.

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.

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. In addition to Arabic, he is fluent in Turkish and has knowledge of English. When the Syrian Turkmen Assembly was created in 2013 as the Platform's successor, he was elected to the Assembly's Executive Board and became its vice president. According to Syria Direct, Mustafa's rise within the Assembly and the broader Syrian opposition was sponsored by Turkish authorities, including then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During his tenure, the Assembly officially affiliated with the Syrian Turkmen Brigades as its armed wing, declared the Syrian Turkmen flag as a national symbol, and pursued more coordinated efforts alongside the broader opposition. 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."

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. He led the Syrian Turkmen delegation during the 2016 Geneva III peace talks as an official component of the broader Syrian opposition.

Following the expansion of the Syrian National Coalition, the Syrian Turkmen Assembly obtained additional representation within the Coalition. In May 2017, Mustafa was elected one of its vice presidents under Riad Seif.

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. 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. Analysts have noted that Mustafa played a central role in aligning the SNC more closely with Turkish strategic interests. On 19 March 2025, he met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus to discuss the country's political transition. In March 2026, he was re-elected president of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly at its seventh Ordinary General Assembly.