Defected Syrian General calls for military council to lead transitional phase
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Defected Syrian Brigadier General Manaf Tlass said on Saturday that Syria’s transitional phase should center on the formation of a military council tasked with “unifying weapons and rebuilding a national, secular institution that protects all Syrians.”
Speaking at Sciences Po University in Paris, in front of members of the Syrian community and European journalists, Tlass argued that “unifying weapons could solve 90 percent of the country’s problems.”
He revealed that he has been in contact with thousands of defected officers and military groups from various regions, including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian coast, and Suwayda, to lay the groundwork for such a council.
Tlass added that transferring some powers of the head of state to a military council and civil institutions would represent “a transition from the rule of authority to the rule of the state.”
He emphasized that his goal is not to compete for power but to help build state institutions based on justice and security, capable of attracting investment and facilitating the return of displaced Syrians.
Tlass also stressed that the future Syrian army must follow a secular doctrine that respects diversity, preserves national unity, and grants broader authority to local administrations.
Manaf Tlass, son of former Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass, served as a senior officer in the Republican Guard before defecting in 2012. He has long advocated for a transitional military council as a framework for guiding Syria toward a post-Assad era.
Reporting by Taysir Mohammed