A brief history of the YPG (english) Kurdish Question, Mar 21 – 2017
The People’s Protection Units (YPG) was formed underground in 2011 to defend the people of Rojava against attacks from the Syrian Bashar al-Assad regime and other reactionary forces as the war in Syria started. Today, it is a force of 50,000 people and at the forefront of the revolution in Syria and the region. Watch this short documentary to learn about the struggle, sacrifices and victories of this amazing force.
How the Kurds became a key player in Syria’s war (english) Vox, Ma 12 – 2018
Since the start of the Syrian civil war, Kurdish people in the North have carved out an autonomous region of their own — Rojava — by fighting the Islamic State. Their militias, which form the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have emerged as the most effective fighters against ISIS and won them a close partnership with the US.
The ruling Kurdish Party, the PYD, has set up a democratic federation made of local governments. Their constitution claims to accept people of all ethnicities and religions and treat them as equals. One of its central tenets is equality of men and women. In fact, the all-female Women’s Protection Unit (YPJ) militia fights along-side the SDF, and they’re known to be especially good soldiers. But the more territory the Kurds take from ISIS, the more worried Turkey gets. Turkey has been at war with another closely linked Kurdish group, the PKK, for decades. In 2018, Turkey invaded the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin, putting the country in direct conflict with the Kurds of Rojava.
Why Turkey is invading Syria (english) Vox, Oct 31 – 2019
On Oct. 9, 2019, Turkey launched an attack in northeastern Syria. Turkey made the move shortly after the US announced it would remove some of its troops from the region. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had his eyes on the region for years. Turkey, he argued, needed a “safe zone” to serve as a buffer against the Syrian War happening just across the border. Yet back home in Turkey, there were other factors at play that accelerated his calls for an invasion that involved Erdo-ğan’s own political survival. The move has recalibrated alliances in the Syrian War and added new uncertainty on the future of the region.
Die Frauenarmee der Kurden
ORF, 16.11.19
Die YPJ und die Revolution in Rojava. Gespräche mit Komandantinnen und YPJ-Kämpferinnen.
Syrien: 9 Jahre Krieg – Eine Chronologie Arte, 20.12.2019
ARTE Info blickt auf neun Jahre Syrien-Konflikt zurück, der über 500.000 Menschenleben gefordert und die Hälfte der Bevölkerung aus ihrem Zuhause vertrieben hat. Eine Chronologie in neun Kapiteln.