| ID | 191928 |
| Title Proper | From the Mountains to the Élysée |
| Other Title Information | the Precarious International Legitimacy of the Syrian Kurdish YPG and PYD |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Elsayed, Ahmed |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article examines the international legitimacy of the main Kurdish militia in northern Syria, the People's Defense Units (YPG), and its affiliated political party, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Despite their origins in the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization in many countries, the YPG and PYD were anointed as partners of the Global Coalition against Daesh/ISIS and have been celebrated in Western capitals and press ever since. To understand this unusual trajectory, this article argues that, although defeating ISIS opened a "possibility space" for this alliance to emerge, the YPG and PYD's discursive and practical legitimation strategies have contributed to their remarkable international diplomatic standing. This position nevertheless remains perilous, largely due to an insurmountable barrier: Turkey. |
| `In' analytical Note | Middle East Journal Vol. 77, No.1; Summer 2023: p. 53-77 |
| Journal Source | Middle East Journal 2023-03 77, 1 |
| Key Words | International Legitimacy ; Mountains to the Élysée ; Syrian Kurdish YPG and PYD |