An Evaluation of the United States Support to the YPG in Terms of International State Responsibility Cover Image

Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nin YPG’ye Desteğinin Uluslararası Sorumluluk Hukuku Açısından Değerlendirilmesi
An Evaluation of the United States Support to the YPG in Terms of International State Responsibility

Author(s): Emir Abbas Gürbüz
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, International relations/trade, Security and defense
Published by: Atatürk Stratejik Araştırmalar Enstitüsü
Keywords: State Responsibility; Effective Control Theory; Non-State Actors; Indirect Attack; Nicaragua Case;

Summary/Abstract: In the fall of 2015 due to the alarming spread of the terrorist organization called the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and the siege of the town Ayn-El Arab which was under the control of YPG, the international awareness about the area increased and this caused the United States of America (USA) stepping in arming and helping YPG in Ayn-el Arab fighting against ISIS. At this stage, this support can make any supporter as guilty and responsible as the terrorists of the non-state armed actor YPG militants’ illegal actions. This article examines the responsibility of the United States for the actions of the YPG. This study examined the legal approaches and interpretations put forward in the international proceedings regarding the armed conflicts during the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the proxy wars in Latin America to shed light on the current situation in Syria. Even though the ongoing discussions on effective control theories in the doctrine have not created binding legal rules “yet”, USA’s actions’ legal consequences and their responsibilities about the human rights violations committed by the YPG terrorists will create a legal liability when the public information about the extent of the support of the United States to the YPG terrorists and the facts about the hot zone are evaluated together.

  • Issue Year: 17/2021
  • Issue No: 40
  • Page Range: 899-925
  • Page Count: 27
  • Language: Turkish