Nuri Mahmoud
Nuri Mahmoud (born 13 August 1977, Syria) is a former politician of the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) and Democratic Union Party (PYD) and current military officer and speaker of the Peoples' Defense Units (YPG).
Early life and education
[edit]He was born to a Syrian Kurdish family in Qamishli in August 1977.[1] He attended high school where he was politically active.[1] Therefore, he was not permitted to study further in Syria following which he emigrated to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.[1] There he worked for the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) between 2007 and 2011.[1] Between 2012 and 2013, he served as a member of the executive committee of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).[1]
Political and military career
[edit]In 2013 he was appointed to the position of an advisor in the process of establishing a legislative council and a judiciary by the civic council of Kobanî. Following he held several positions in the Kobanî Canton until 2015.[1] From 2015 and 2017, Mahmoud served as the director of the Semalka border crossing between the Kurdistan Region in Iraq and Syria.[1] In 2017 he was appointed as the speaker of the YPG and in 2020 also as a commander of the headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).[1] As the spokesperson of the YPG and in support of a UN resolution, he stressed that the YPG would hold a ceasefire of 30 days during the Turkish invasion of Afrin in February 2018.[2] In June 2020, he offered an apology to the ENKS for the deaths caused by the forces of the YPG.[3] In 2022, he voiced concern over an eventual Turkish attack onto Northern Syria.[4]
Foreign relations
[edit]In March 2023, he visited the French Senate within a delegation of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) where met with its vice-president Pierre Laurent.[5] Mahmoud was also honored by the French Senate for his service during the fight against the Islamic State.[6][7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "Nuri Mahmoud Biography" (PDF). National Security Division/Foreign Agents Registration Act.
- ^ Kurds Say They Abide by UN Ceasefire in Syria, retrieved 2023-03-26
- ^ Zaman, Amberin (26 June 2020). "US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia offers rare apology to rivals amid unity talks - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ "Locals express concern over Turkish escalation in northern Syria". North Press Agency. 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ "AANES discusses challenges of political process in Syria with French Senate". North press agency. 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ "French Senate honors the YPG and YPJ". Firat News Agency. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ "In appreciation of their sacrifices...French Senate honor YPJ". Hawar News Agency. Retrieved 2023-03-26.