Will the YPJ be part of the interim government's army? 2025-09-16 13:33:06     Derya Ren   NEWS CENTER - Sozdar Dêrik, a member of the YPJ General Command, said, “Will we be part of the army they have established, or will we not? This needs to be asked. We will not unite with those who have the blood of Hevrîn, women, and the people on their hands without them being brought to justice.”   As the dialogues between the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the interim Damascus government continue, the question “What will happen?” has come to the fore. While the QSD and YPJ have taken a clear stance on this question, the interim government's view of women continues to be debated. In this ambiguous environment, a security operation was launched on September 5 against the Hol Camp, which is under the control of the Autonomous Administration. QSD and YPJ forces supported the operation; 11 ISIS members were captured, and numerous shelters and hideouts were destroyed.   Sozdar Dêrik, a member of the YPJ General Command, shared her assessment of the process with JINNEWS.   The new government's resemblance to Baath   Sozdar Dêrik, who stated that Syria has been experiencing a security crisis for years, said, "However, the systemic crisis in the Middle East and the terrorist attacks carried out against the people were also part of this. Developments took place with the spring of the peoples, but not all peoples experienced the same spring. It was a bloody process for the people. DAESH attacks took place in Syria and North and East Syria. These attacks were repelled by the QSD, YPG, and our forces (YPJ). These were major steps, and with them, security was established in Rojava.    A great struggle has been waged for years, and a heavy price has been paid. Security was achieved through great sacrifice, with nearly 13,000 martyrs. We can describe the security we have achieved, the overthrow of the Baath regime, and what has replaced it as ‘worse than Baath’. We see this from the developments that have taken place."   ISIS attacks   Referring to the establishment of the interim Damascus government and the subsequent instability in Syria, Sozdar Dêrik went on to say: "We have seen what the current mindset wants to achieve in Syria. We will learn the basis of the attacks taking place in Syria. The attacks are not independent of each other. Most of the attacks carried out against Northern and Eastern Syria in the recent period have been carried out by ISIS.    We have our natural borders. The points and places we defend are still in our hands. ISIS's attacks have been brought under control by our forces so far. The operations in Hesekê were also part of this. The attacks were directed at prisons where ISIS members were held, and they also wanted to create chaos in society. We have shared the results of our operations."   ‘We are determined to fight’   Sozdar Dêrik shared the following information about the operation they carried out against Hol Camp: "The families of DAESH members are in Hol Camp, and our forces are providing security for the camp. We launched this operation to end the chaos inside the camp and prevent DAESH members who are preparing for new attacks from carrying them out. ISIS is attempting to organize and cause unrest in Dera, Raqqa, Hesekê, and other cities under our control. We will never back down from the fight we have undertaken."   The massacres in Syria   “There is a government in Syria trying to legitimize itself,” said Sozdar Dêrik, pointing out that the conflicts occurring throughout Syria are suspicious. Sozdar Dêrik said, "The person who sees himself as the head of the government is also not legitimate. He comes from a radical Islamic tradition and is on the world terror list. It will be very difficult to conduct dialogue and govern the country in this way. Change and transformation are necessary. As a result of all that has happened, questions must be asked about the massacres carried out against Alawites in Syria's coastal regions, Druze in Suwayda, and other minorities."   ‘We represent all the Syrian people’   Adding that there is great hostility towards differences and beliefs, Sozdar Dêrik said, “Attacks against women in particular are unacceptable. What is happening in Efrîn, Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî, Süveyda, Aleppo, and the coastal cities is not normal. These people must be tried because they are committing war crimes. The people are tired of war. The people no longer want to face war. We represent all the Syrian people. We are in favor of negotiations within a democratic framework. We are not and will not be in favor of negotiations based on a single nation, a single language, a single flag, that is, a single ideology."   ‘We have a great deal of experience’   Recalling that this struggle has been going on for 13-14 years, Sozdar Dêrik said, “If we accept monoculturalism, our struggle will have been in vain. We will never accept a mentality that imposes itself, seeks to enslave us, and tries to destroy us. The world powers also see this reality. We do not exert any pressure on the people, and we are not an army established for this purpose. Because we are the children of this people. We represent the people. We are not made up of just one nation. QSD, YPG-YPJ are not only made up of Kurds; we are an army made up of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and all other peoples. We have a great deal of experience."    Women's will   Sozdar Dêrik emphasized that the army they have established is not sexist or racist, stating, "Different races and beliefs will be protected. Our army will sustain itself through its culture and way of life. Women will take their place everywhere. We will ensure this. We will not back down from this. We will not accept the conditions imposed on us. Why shouldn't we have a democratic system in our country? We will never let the efforts of our thousands of martyrs go to waste. We have proven ourselves in politics, in war, and in our determination, and we are what we say we are. This is not a personal matter. Our mothers, aged 50-60, have reached the highest levels in politics. These mothers have paid a heavy price to get to this stage."    YPJ's view of the interim Damascus government   Stating that they will continue to defend themselves against any attack, Sozdar Dêrik said, "Dialogue with the interim Damascus government is ongoing. We are confident in ourselves. We are ready to defend our people, and we have the power to defend all other peoples in Syria. No one can ignore our power. In the ongoing dialogues, everyone is wondering, ‘What is being said about the QSD and YPJ?’. The dialogues have not yet reached such an advanced level that we can say this is what has been said about the QSD or YPJ. However, the interim government's perspective on women is clear. It should be noted: Will we be part of the army they have established, or will we not? This needs to be asked. We will not unite with those who have the blood of Hevrîn, women, and the people on their hands without them being brought to justice."