Talal Silo

Talal (Ali) Silo (or Telal Silo, Talal Sallou) was the official Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesperson until his surrender or defection to Turkey in November 2017. His departure marked the first major defection among the SDF's top ranks.

Silo, a Turkmen, was the SDF spokesperson from 2014 to November 2017, covering major SDF operations and battles against ISIS. He alleged that during the SDF capture of Raqqa from ISIS, thousands of IS fighters - many more than first reported - left the city under a secret U.S.-approved deal. However, U.S. officials described Silo’s comments as “false and contrived”.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) have presented different versions of the reasons behind Silo's departure - reflecting the complexities of Syria's proxy war.