Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has appointed Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi as an adviser to the presidency, state media reported on Friday, in a move that signals a significant step in Damascus' efforts to bring Kurdish-led military and civilian institutions under the authority of the Syrian state. The appointment comes days after Abdi announced the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led military group that had played a major role in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria.

A presidential decree signed by Sharaa and published by Syria's state news agency SANA said, “Mustafa Khalil Abdi is appointed as adviser to the presidency of the republic.” Mazloum Abdi has been known by several names and has for years been the senior commander of the SDF. His appointment gives him an official position within Syria's central government at a time when Damascus is seeking to establish control over institutions and territories that had remained outside its direct authority during years of civil war and political fragmentation.

The SDF was formed as a Kurdish-led coalition of armed groups and became a key US partner in the campaign against Islamic State in northeastern Syria. With American military and political support, the group helped drive the jihadist organisation from much of the territory it had controlled in Syria. The SDF subsequently maintained control over significant parts of northeastern Syria and operated alongside a Kurdish-led civilian administration. Its future relationship with Damascus has therefore been one of the most important unresolved issues in Syria's post-Assad political transition.

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Abdi's appointment follows his announcement on Tuesday that the SDF would be dissolved as part of an agreement reached with Sharaa in January. Under the arrangement, Kurdish forces and the region's civilian administration are to be integrated into the Syrian state. The agreement represents a major shift for the SDF, which had maintained its own command structure and exercised authority over large areas during the conflict. The integration process is expected to determine how former SDF fighters, security structures and local administrative institutions will operate under the authority of Damascus.

The development comes as Syria's new authorities attempt to extend state control across the country following the overthrow of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Sharaa's administration has faced the challenge of bringing together territories, armed factions and communities that developed separate political and security structures during more than a decade of conflict. Establishing a unified state authority remains a central objective, while agreements with armed and political groups are intended to reduce fragmentation and strengthen Damascus' control.

For the Kurdish community, the agreement with Damascus could have far-reaching implications for its political and administrative position in Syria. The appointment of Abdi as a presidential adviser potentially provides a direct link between the Kurdish leadership and the central government as the integration process proceeds. It also places a prominent former commander of the SDF inside the political structure of the new Syrian administration. The success of the arrangement will depend on how the agreed integration of military and civilian institutions is implemented in practice and how the different sides address outstanding questions over authority and governance.

Abdi's appointment therefore represents more than a change in his personal political role. It is part of a broader restructuring of Syria's military and political landscape following the fall of Assad. By bringing a senior Kurdish figure into the presidency's advisory structure, Damascus appears to be seeking a closer working relationship with Kurdish representatives while advancing its objective of restoring central state authority. The coming stages of the integration agreement are likely to be closely watched as Syria attempts to establish a more unified political and security system after years of conflict.

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