Published Via SETA on January 28, 2020 - Joint Research Paper with Ömer Özkizilcik
This paper examines the YPG's attacks in the areas of the Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, and Peace Spring Operations from July 2018 to November 2019. It explores how the YPG adapted to the evolving landscape in northern Syria and increasingly employed terrorist tactics, particularly assassinations and car bomb attacks, as substitutes for direct military confrontations.
The rise in YPG attacks prompts the question of whether the group is reverting to the PKK's tactics after altering its engagement strategy in Syria due to the civil war and the U.S.-supported operations against DAESH. The YPG's deployment of car bombs, IEDs, and targeted killings closely mirrors the PKK's long-established methods in its terror campaign in Turkey. This shift not only exposes the YPG's true nature but also bolsters Turkish arguments against the group. With escalating attacks, the U.S. and other YPG supporters must address their involvement with and support for what appears to be a terrorist organization.
Since Operation Peace Spring, the YPG has executed nine car bomb attacks, launched ten cross-border assaults on Turkey, and deployed numerous IEDs, resulting in at least 113 civilian deaths and 178 injuries. To contextualize, these casualties are 2.3 times greater than the total civilian combat fatalities (49) across all factions during Operation Peace Spring.
This report calls on YPG supporters to confront the group's terror tactics and to detain, prosecute, and penalize those responsible for indiscriminate violence and war crimes leading to civilian casualties. If key backers such as the United States, Russia, and France are unable or unwilling to take action, they must reconsider their support for the armed faction or face accountability for the war crimes committed by the YPG.
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