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The Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Ciwanen Welatparêzên Şoreşger, Turkish: Yurtsever Devrimci Gençlik Hareket, YDG-H) was the urban, militant youth wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from 2006-2015.[1] Trained by more experienced PKK cadres for urban fighting,[2] and consisting mostly of children and adults in the 15-25 age group,[3] it was reportedly established in 2006.[1] The group started to clash with Turkish security forces and tried to enforce their authority in the areas they were located in 2014 as part of a strategy which involved unilateral declaration of self-management in various towns in southeastern Turkey, and creation of trenches and barricades reinforced with IEDs and explosives to deny security forces access.[4]
| Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement | |
|---|---|
| Yurtsever Devrimci Gençlik Hareketi (YDG-H) Tevgera Ciwanen Welatparêzên Şoreşger | |
 Flag of the YDG-H | |
| Foundation | 2006 |
| Dates of operation | 2012–2018 |
| Country | Turkey |
| Active regions | Southeastern Anatolia Region (Turkey) |
| Ideology | Democratic confederalism Autonomy Kurdish Nationalism |
| Size | 8,000-15,000 |
The group was in favor of regional self-management for the Kurdish people in Southeast Anatolia. Other claimed objectives of the YDG-H include stopping all activities related to drugs and prostitution, and other similar crimes in the region.[5]
In December 2015, the YDG-H was reorganized into the Civil Protection Units (YPS) militia.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "A new generation of Kurdish militants takes fight to Turkey's cities". Reuters. 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "Children of the PKK: The Growing Intensity of Turkey's Civil War - SPIEGEL ONLINE - International". Der Spiegel. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "PKK looks to the future with creation of youth militias". Al-Monitor. 2015-08-31. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "The Human Cost of the PKK Conflict in Turkey: The Case of Sur". Crisis Group. 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ VICE News (2015-02-13), PKK Youth Fight for Autonomy in Turkey, retrieved 2017-03-30
- ^ "Managing Turkey's PKK Conflict: The Case of Nusaybin". Crisis Group. 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2018-11-24.