ANF published an interview with the spokeswoman of YPJ (Women’s Defense Units) International Fighters Info Office on the motivation and background of YPJ-International.
YPJ International: Capitalist patriarchy common enemy
Têkoşîn Zekî, Official spokeswoman of YPJ (Women’s Defense Units) International Fighters Info Office, spoke to ANF on the motivation and background of YPJ-International.
Could you present yourself shortly?
YPJ International is the international department of Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) in Rojava and northern and eastern Syria. Female fighters who identify with our values and principles join us in ideological, medical and military education and then work in the various structures of the YPJ.
YPJ International was founded during the big war in Kobane in 2014 as autonomous women’s force.
What is your motivation, which backgrounds do you have?
The motivations as well as the backgrounds of our fighters are different. But we do all come here because of strong humanitarian values and the awareness of the importance of the women’s liberation struggle. And we are all willing to take all steps necessary for this.
Some joined to fight against DAESH (ISIS), experienced DAESH attacks against women and humanity as attacks against themselves. Others joined to give their medical and combat knowledge and abilities for a sense- and meaningful struggle. Again others are coming for ideological reasons or feeling connected to the Rojava Revolution and its basic pillars democracy, women-liberation and ecologically economy.
Some were organized in political groups before, some came just as interested and sincere individuals. The nationalities also are very different, mostly from Europe and USA.
How do you relate to YPG/YPJ?
YPJ International is an autonomous part of the umbrella of YPJ. This means our members are members of YPJ as well. We have our own academy, Acadêmîya Șêhîd Ivana, named after Șêhîd Avaşîn Têkoşîn Güneş (Ivana Hoffmann), who fall a martyr in Til Temir at 7th March 2015 through ISIS attack.And we’ve got our own press and public relations work. Both is theoretically and practically strongly connected to YPJ. For fighting and other works, our fighters are included and under command of YPJ structures.
As being part of YPJ, our relation to YPG is the same as theirs. It’s not possible, that male comrades are making decisions about our structure or our fighters; and they can also not give any lessons in our academy, but the other way around. Of course there are common works and tasks, in which there’s a strong cooperation, for example in battlefield or on-the-ground-presswork.
The relation to YPJ and YPG is grounded on sharing the ideologically idea, inspired deeply by Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, who’s one of the greatest philosophers of our time and is imprisoned by the fascist Turkish since in 1999. By seeing us fighting against the same enemy, for the same goal and defending the same people and land, you can imagine the strength of this relation.
