Is YPG moving to professionalize military units?

In a recent video, a military officer with the People’s Protection Units (YPG) announced that the group has introduced a new decree whereby all fighters under the age of 18 are ineligible to participate in military operations.

Although at the time of writing this analysis, no official written policy has been published in this regard, the video’s credibility arises from its YouTube publisher, which is the official “YPG Press Office”, often credited with battle footage from YPG frontlines.

The officer in the footage is seen knocking on doors and speaking to parents of young fighters, explaining that their children are being returned, as they are “deemed too young for combat operations”. While some of the parents “object”, the officer continues to rationalize with the parents that the decree is meant to return these young fighters back to school. The officer waits for the disqualified teenagers to change into civilian clothes and handover their YPG military fatigues.

While the YPG has not provided the official reason as to this change in policy, numerous allusions could be drawn based on the recent developments in the Rojava Region, as ISIS is being hit by sustained US, Russian and Western allies air strikes.

The change in YPG’s policy could be directly related to advancing its image and recognizing the need to abide by international laws as it has been portrayed as a vital and creditable fighting force against ISIS. YPG is also fighting an international public relations campaign launched by Turkey to label it as a “terrorist organization” and portraying it as an extension of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).

This move by the YPG is important as it attempts to become a strategic ally to its Western supporters and more inline with international laws against recruiting child soldiers. This change in YPG’s policy could also be the result of combat ineffectiveness of its under-aged fighters.

One burden the YPG might be facing is the mounting pressures from its Western allies, particularly the United States, as it moves to disassociate itself from negative media attention concerning the ‘employment of child soldiers’. This is particularly important now because the US has overtly stated that its Special Forces are in Syria helping ground troops and by extension, the US does not want to be associated with the training of any child soldier.

Further, this shift in policy could be due to a shift in its combat missions where its’ main fighting force is no longer overwhelmed by sustained ISIS attacks and therefore it can now afford to reintroduce its underage fighters back into civilian life. This is also an attempt to professionalize its ranks to get wider international support and supplies. The international community has also demonstrated its willingness to support YPG militarily due to its ability to work as a semi-unifying force. This was demonstrated on the international stage during the battle for Kobane where the YPG successfully lobbied Kurdistan Regional Government’s Peshmerga Forces to provide artillery support in Kobane and their ability to work with other US-backed non-Kurdish opposition actors in Syria.

Further to this, the YPG officer is seen in the video speaking to Kurdish and Arab families, suggesting that they are also becoming a pan-ethnic military force in the Region by having an inclusive force. While a single decree cannot completely professionalize a military force, this is a move in the right direction towards garnering more international recognition and support.

The YPG first came to the attention of the international media for its resilience in the fight against ISIS and for its willingness to enroll Kurdish women amongst its ranks, something largely foreign in the context of Middle East conflicts. Later in the war with ISIS, it began to directly receive weapons and other military and logistical support from the US, most notably during the Battle for Kobane.

Ala Jaff is a practicing security professional. He holds a Police Foundations diploma and a BA in Law. He is currently working towards his Masters degree in Criminal Justice, Governance and Police Science.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.

• Link to YPG Press Office video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Vb2cwErH8

•YPG Map courtesy of Thomas van Linge via twitter.com