The Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), General Mazloum Abdi, stated that the current period represents a new turning point in the course of political and military work, affirming the commitment of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration to implementing the provisions of the agreement concluded with Damascus.
Abdi made the remarks during a speech delivered at the funeral ceremony of Kurdish leader and former co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Saleh Muslim, where he noted that the coming stage requires new preparation and organization.
Abdi said: “From now on we have entered a new phase. An agreement has been concluded with Damascus, and this is a new stage. As the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Autonomous Administration, we affirm that we are moving forward with implementing the provisions of the agreement, and we have implemented everything required of us. The ball is now in Damascus’ court.”
Abdi explained that among the steps expected from Damascus is the implementation of the prisoner clause, adding: “The prisoner clause must be implemented. We are now trying to secure the release of detainees before the Nowruz holiday. The displaced people of Afrin and Serekaniye must return. One of the most important provisions of the agreement is that Kurdish regions must preserve their administrative, political, and military particularity.”
He added that the region has entered a new phase since the beginning of events in Syria, saying: “We have entered a new phase. From here, in 2012, the beginning of the revolution, we passed through difficult stages and fought against everyone who tried to harm our people. ISIS reached here, to this shrine. We defended ourselves and we will continue to defend ourselves. The new stage requires good organization and preparation. From now on, the names of some of our institutions may change according to the agreement, but we must know that our institutions—military, administrative, and security—will remain as they are. What is required from our people is that we continue our struggle together.”
Abdi stressed that the current stage requires avoiding internal disagreements and focusing on political and economic struggle in the coming period. He said: “This is not a time for contradictions. We will conduct a comprehensive accountability process in the coming phase, but what is required now is struggle for the new stage. Until now we have offered many martyrs, and in recent months more martyrs have fallen. We hope these will be our last martyrs. We must organize ourselves according to the requirements of the new phase, because from now on the struggle will be political and economic. Most of our struggle today is directed toward making our regions a model for all of Syria.”
During the funeral ceremony, Kurdish politician Leyla Zana delivered a speech in which she said: “Öcalan addressed everything important, including the concept of the democratic nation, but we did not fully understand him. In 2015 he told me: I am not against the Kurds having a state, but I say that Kurds must act according to their capabilities. The world is changing and we must be prepared for that. Today the world does not live in peace.”
Zana affirmed that the Kurdish people have great hope for the future, saying: “Today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today. We must trust our people and rely on them. We are not against any nation, and we also demand their rights. In order to live freely, we must struggle and fight with everything we have.”
She also explained that her visit to Kobani was like a dream for her, adding: “Coming to Kobani was like a dream for me, and now I am here.” She stressed the need to strengthen Kurdish unity, noting that peace cannot be achieved without the Kurds. She pointed out that Saleh Muslim dedicated his life to the cause of his people, saying: “He did not think about himself; he thought about his people, and today the struggle rests on our shoulders.”
Thousands of people on Sunday, March 15, 2026, escorted Saleh Muslim to the “Martyr Dicle Shrine,” with the participation of Kurdish delegations and large public crowds.
Kurdish politician and member of the Presidential Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Saleh Muslim, had passed away on the evening of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in a hospital in the city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, at the age of 75 after a struggle with illness.
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