>>2697165YPJ Commander Newroz Ehmed answered our questions regarding the discussions surrounding the YPJ's presence in Rojava.Following the agreement signed between the SDF and the Provisional Government of Damascus on January 30th, one of the questions on the minds of everyone who supports the Rojava resistance is what will happen to the YPJ. According to the agreement , a new military division composed of SDF fighters will be formed, and this division will consist of brigades. These brigades will be deployed to Hasakah, Qamishlo, and Derik. A special brigade will also be created for the Kobani forces, attached to the army division within the Aleppo borders. Responding to our questions on the subject, YPJ Commander Newroz Ehmed emphasized that the brigade system will not be a structure that swallows or dissolves the YPJ, but rather a tool that will more effectively reflect the YPJ's will on the ground .
<The interim government in Damascus did not recognize the representation of the YPJ from the March 10 agreement to the January 30 agreement. However, the latest agreement envisages the YPJ continuing its activities within the brigades that will be formed. What do you think were the main reasons for Damascus's change of stance?The interim government in Damascus refused to recognize the YPJ. Because recognizing the YPJ meant recognizing women's liberation, the will of the people, and the emerging new social order. They chose to deny this reality. They stalled for a long time. But the truth on the ground shattered their policy of denial. It was impossible to back down in the face of the YPJ. Because the YPJ is not a structure established at a table. The YPJ is a resistance stronghold born in the bloodiest and darkest moments of the war. We didn't just carry weapons; we defended the people, we stood against ISIS, and we actively organized the will of women. The more the Damascus government ignored the YPJ, the more it was cornered on the ground, the more it sank into deadlock. It must be understood that the YPJ is not an ordinary military unit. The YPJ is the armed, political, and social expression of the women's liberation movement. Any force that seeks to eliminate the YPJ directly wages war against the democratic will of the people. Damascus tried this. It failed. Because the presence of the YPJ in these lands is now an irreversible reality. Although we have not received a positive or negative response from the other side regarding the YPJ's continued operation within the brigades that will be formed, our stance as the YPJ is clear on this point. In the military system that will be created, we women will preserve our uniqueness and organization. This is not a favor. This is a right won on the ground. This achievement is the product of women's resistance, the support of the people, and the leadership's line. The existence of the YPJ is not up for negotiation. Women's liberation cannot be erased from these lands. These achievements are our red lines.
<How will the YPJ restructure itself within the brigades going forward? How will the YPJ's own command structure and internal workings be preserved during this process?Even if the YPJ is integrated into brigades, it will unequivocally maintain its command autonomy, organizational identity, and ideological line. It will continue to operate with its own cadres, its own commanders, and its own internal discipline. The brigades to be established will also include independent women's regiments. There will be no backtracking or bargaining on this matter. The aim of the restructuring is clear: to strengthen coordination in the field, consolidate positions, and defend the women's liberation line in a more organized manner. The YPJ's central command and ideological mechanisms will remain unchanged. The brigade system will not be a structure that swallows or dissolves the YPJ; on the contrary, it will function as a tool to more effectively reflect the YPJ's will in the field. Hierarchy is not a tool of oppression. In the YPJ, command is a responsibility that guarantees the will of women. No female fighter can be rendered powerless or passive. Training, cadre policy, and ideological work will continue uninterrupted. This is the clearest answer to all approaches that attempt to view the YPJ solely as a "military component." The women's right to command, their organized stance, and their commitment to freedom will be further strengthened during this process. The YPJ will emerge from this process not weakened, but more organized, more disciplined, and more determined.
<'Is the number of YPJ members who will be in the brigades known?Each brigade will have its own YPJ (Women's Protection Units) battalions of female fighters. The overall brigade will continue to work in coordination with the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), as it has done until now. At the same time, female commanders will take their places in the overall brigade leadership. Of course, it would not be appropriate to specify any exact number regarding the brigades to be formed and the number of female fighters within them at this time, but we will take our place in the brigades as YPJ in proportion to our specific group.
<Will YPJ forces also be present at the joint checkpoints planned to be established with Damascus in Hesekê, Qamişlo, and Kobanê? Will cooperation with forces loyal to Damascus be limited only to checkpoints?There is no question of jointly controlling points with the Damascus government forces. However, we, as the YPJ, will also take our place at the checkpoints where the SDF will be present. In the ongoing negotiations, the YPJ is demonstrating its will in terms of views and implementation, and will maintain its presence in all future operations, both at the fighter and command levels. So far, there has been no discussion or decision regarding joint checkpoints as a military force . However, women have achieved representation within the Internal Security Forces, and this representation is manifested at a high level of responsibility. The level and scope of our partnership in the negotiations in Damascus are still being discussed. On this basis, the government forces that have entered our region have done so to share ideas and practical applications regarding what needs to be done during the integration phase and how it can be developed. Of course, the government forces have been deployed to the points we have determined under our control and supervision for a short period. As the people of the region, we also have a certain level of experience and knowledge in both defense and maintaining social order. Our foundations are strong in both ideological and practical terms, and in the process that follows, we will continue to exchange views on how to coordinate our work with the Damascus government forces. Our work will be carried out by designated representatives, such as city governors and heads of internal security forces. A joint commission has also been established by the SDF, and it will continue its work directly and in coordination with the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
<How will the YPJ's ideological line and women's achievements be protected in this new process?The YPJ is the armed and organized expression of the ideology of women's liberation. Therefore, the existence of the YPJ is non-negotiable, and its ideological line is not a secondary element in any process. In the ranks of the YPJ, women not only carry weapons but also make decisions, command, train, and supervise. The women's liberation line is paramount in every position, every patrol, and every organizational step. This line is not shaped by temporary political balances or military restructuring. There are concrete reasons why the YPJ's ideological line and women's achievements are guaranteed in this process. The YPJ has its own chain of command, internal discipline, and decision-making mechanisms. Restructuring or integration processes do not negate this fact. The command, training, and organization processes of women fighters are under the YPJ's own control. No external structure can interfere with the YPJ's internal workings. The YPJ's strength is not only military but also ideological consciousness.
<In light of all these developments, what do you think is the long-term position of the YPJ? Will this process weaken the YPJ, or will it lead to its strengthening in a different way?Of course, this process is not an easy one. The YPJ faces multifaceted, planned, and long-term attacks. These attacks are not limited to the existing state forces; there is a comprehensive siege with technical, political, diplomatic, and psychological dimensions. But precisely for this reason, the YPJ's resistance is not simply military resistance, but a defense of existence and will. The aim is to pit peoples against each other, to incite nationalism and chauvinism, and to drag the region into an endless war through artificial enmities such as the Kurdish-Arab conflict. This plan has failed. The YPJ has never been merely a military structure. The YPJ is the embodiment of women's liberation, the claim to a democratic society, and the people's will to defend themselves. Although today's developments create some uncertainties on the ground, they indicate a process that does not weaken the YPJ, but rather reorganizes it according to new conditions, transforming it into a deeper and more lasting force. Far from weakening the YPJ, all these developments point to a process that further clarifies its historical and political position. Deniz, Ziyad, Sîdar, and many others have shown that this struggle is not only a defense but also a struggle for reconstruction. This process may transform the YPJ formally; methods, tools, and styles of struggle may change. However, essentially, it is not a weakening of the YPJ, but a strengthening on a deeper, more conscious, and more inclusive path.
The YPJ has become a common point of reference not only for Kurdish women, but for all women in the region who demand freedom, equality, and a dignified life. The YPJ continues its commitment to defending its people and values with an even stronger consciousness today than yesterday. Women will continue to be the subjects of decision-making processes at all levels. This is a non-negotiable red line for the YPJ. The YPJ's true strength lies not in its weapons, but in its social legitimacy. The bond it has forged with the people, the awareness and trust created by the women's liberation struggle, distinguishes the YPJ from an ordinary military force. The visibility of women in defense, administration, and social life is a direction that will further strengthen the YPJ. This process does not narrow the YPJ's scope, but rather expands its area of responsibility and increases its political and social influence. Women will continue to be decisive not only in defense but also in building the future. Of course, there are risks; this is undeniable. However, the YPJ's experience from the past, its culture of sacrifice, and the strong bond it has forged with the people bring with them the capacity to manage these risks. The YPJ is an organization that has repeatedly managed to emerge stronger from crises, not disintegrated. We can state this clearly: the YPJ will not weaken in the long term. On the contrary, with its women's command, ideological clarity, social roots, and resolute stance in the field, it has the potential to transform every new process to its advantage.
<Finally, do you have a message you would like to give to the women fighting in the ranks of the YPJ, as well as to the women following the process in Rojava and other parts of Kurdistan?To our comrades fighting in the ranks of the YPJ and to all women in Rojava and other parts of Kurdistan who are following this process, we want to say: The struggle you are waging today is not merely a military resistance; it is one of the most honorable, fundamental, and just resistances in the history of humanity. History will never forget your resistance. On the contrary, when writing about the heroes of this era, it will record the women of the YPJ in golden letters. The messages of solidarity from women's movements during this process have shown us once again that the struggle against this mentality that legitimizes the killing of women is not only the struggle of Kurdish women, but the common struggle of all women in the world. The attacks today are not only directed at a specific geography, but at women's liberation itself. Therefore, we will fight to the end against this aggressive mindset that has made killing, looting, reaction, and savagery a system. The resistance of the women fighting in the YPJ has proven to all women that freedom is won through organized struggle and a will willing to pay the price. That is why women's resistance is invincible. Women's liberation is the greatest revolution of this era. And the vanguard of this revolution are the women who are resisting today in Rojava and throughout Kurdistan.
<https://www.ozgurpolitika.com/haberi-tugay-sistemi-ypjyi-yutmayacak-208942