YPG International
| YPG International Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Participant in Syrian Civil War, Rojava conflict, Rojava Revolution, Turkish-Kurdish war | |
 Flag of YPG International. | |
| Active | 19 December 2016 — present |
| Ideology |
Anti-fascism Anti-capitalism[1] Feminism |
| Headquarters | Raqqa Governorate, Syria |
| Area of operations |
 |
| Part of |
 •  |
| Formerly | Antifascist International Tabur (AIT) |
| Allies |
   |
| Opponents |
     |
| Battles and wars |
Syrian Civil War Manbij offensive Raqqa campaign (2016–2017) Battle of Raqqa (2017) Turkish military operation in Afrin |
| Website | Official web site |
The YPG International or People's Protection Units International (kurdish: YPG Enternasyonal) is a military brigade formed by foreign volunteers of the YPG. It was created in December 2016 under the name of Antifascist International Tabûr (AIT).[2] The battalion fights alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces in the Syrian Civil War.[3]
On 13 June 2017 YPG International reported that the brigade became an official YPG battalion. Its commander is the Italian volunteer Karim Marcello Franceschi.
Involvement in the Syrian Civil War
The brigade was founded on December 2016 by the Italian-Moroccan fighter Karim Marcello Franceschi who fought ISIL in the Siege of Kobane between 2014 and 2015. The battalion emerged as a proposal for Western fighters arriving to join a specific military brigade in which a particular language is spoken predominantly; this issue is exemplified by brigades like the International Freedom Battalion where the language predominant is Turkish and it became an obstacle to communicate with the Western fighters.[4]
The brigade is composed mostly by communists, socialists and anarchists from Europe. They launched a statement where they mentioned their principles and causes, highlighting the common unity between communists and anarchists as an anti-fascist front against the Islamic State. The statement was released in several languages, including English, Italian, Spanish and Basque.
See also
References
- ↑ "Rojava: New international battalion formed – Antifascist Internationalist Tabur!". Insurrection News. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ↑ Andrew W., Griffin (21 December 2016). "AIT: Anti-fascist battalion comprised of internationalists forms in Rojava". Red Dirt Report. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ↑ Seth, Harp (14 February 2017). "The Anarchists vs. the Islamic State". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ↑ "La historia de tres amigos: Antifascistas internacionalistas de Rojava" (in Spanish). Rojava Azadi Madrid. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
Heval Marcelo se unió a la Resistencia de Kobanê, y escribió un libro sobre ello más tarde. Heval Çiya, por otro lado, llegó a Kobanê para trabajar en un proyecto hospitalario. Marcelo mantuvo el contacto con el Batallón Internacional por la Libertad después de regresar a Europa durante un tiempo. Entonces, cuando una vez más regresó a Rojava, él y Çiya se conocieron en un grupo de entrenamiento y decidieron formar un batallón antifascista. La dominación de algunas organizaciones turcas -las 3 predominantes, para ser más precisos- les hicieron sentir muy incómodos. Dijeron que los anarquista no eran muy bienvenidos y que uno necesitaría tener un conocimiento de la teoría marxistas, y seguirla para ser aceptado y apreciado. "No tienen conexiones con Europa, y no hacen ningún esfuerzo por construir ninguna. Lo más importante, todas las reuniones se celebraban en turco, que es el idioma predominante. Estos fueron algunos de los molestos asuntos que nos hicieron pensar."