Nuri Mahmoud
Syrian politician (born 1977)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nuri Mahmoud (born 13 August 1977, Syria) is a former politician of the Kurdish National Congress (KNK) and Democratic Union Party (PYD) and current military officer and speaker of the Peoples' Defense Units (YPG).
affiliations
Nuri Mahmoud | |
|---|---|
نوري محمود | |
| Speaker of the YPG | |
| Assumed office 2017 | |
| YPG | |
| Commander of the SDF Headquarters | |
| Assumed office 2020 | |
| Advisor in the Civic Council of Kobanî | |
| In office 2013–2015 | |
| Director of Semalka Border Crossing | |
| In office 2015–2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 August 1977 |
| Party | Democratic Union Party (PYD) |
Other political affiliations | Kurdish National Congress (KNK) |
| Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Emigrated there for further education) | |
| Profession | Politician, military officer |
| Military service | |
| Commands | SDF, YPG |
Early life and education
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 Congress (KNK) 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
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
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]