The Motivational Factor of Foreign Terrorist Fighters: An Evaluation within the Framework of ISIS and YPG

Year 2021, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 97 - 131, 20.01.2021

Fatma Anıl Öztop

Abstract

This study examines the most common motivational factors of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) in Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and People’s Protection Units (YPG). The significance of the present study is that it examines these factors of FTFs traveling to Syria to join ISIS and YPG in a comparatively. Therefore, the present study aims to contribute to the literature by providing to analyze the motivation factors of YTS from a comparative perspective. Numerous reports, articles, interviews, newspaper reports and political documents related to the field were analyzed in this study. In addition, the author interviewed senior officials who investigated cases related to the ISIS and YPG, including lawyers. Besides, statements without a confidentiality order were also examined in this study. According to the findings, "the lack of meaning", which is one of the push factors, and “online propaganda”, which is one of the pull factors, are the common motivational factor for FTFs both ISIS and YPG. In contrast, FTFs of ISIS differ from FTFs of YPG within the scope of “socio-economic conditions, social exclusion and perceived sense of injustice and persecution” as push factors. The differences of YPS’s FTFs from ISIS’s FTFs are shaped at the point of “disappointment and desire for adventure”. On the other hand, while the factors pulling the FTFs of ISIS are “material incentives, religious reasons, discourse of redemption and social networks”; the motivational factors pulling the FTFs of YPG are “fighting ISIS, and ideology”.

Keywords

Foreign terrorist fighters,, motivational factors, ISIS, YPG

Yabancı Terörist Savaşçıların Motivasyon Faktörleri: DEAŞ ve YPG Çerçevesinde Bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Devlet'ül Irak ve'ş Şam’da (DEAŞ) savaşan Yabancı Terörist Savaşçılar(YTS) ile Halk Savunma Birlikleri’nde(YPG) yer alan YTS’lerde en sık görülen motivasyon unsurlarını analiz etmektedir. Mevcut çalışmanın önemi, DEAŞ ve YPG terör örgütlerinde yer almak için Suriye’ye seyahat eden YTS olgusunu, motivasyon faktörleri açısından, karşılaştırmalı bir şekilde incelemesinden ileri gelmektedir. Dolayısıyla, bu çalışma YTS’lerin motivasyon unsurlarını karşılaştırmalı şekilde analiz eden bir çerçeveyi oluşturarak literatüre katkı sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, alana ilişkin raporlar, makaleler, röportajlar, gazete haberleri ve siyasi belgeler incelenmiştir. Ayrıca, güvenlik alanında yetkili olan kişiler ve avukatlarla görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiş olup, üzerinde gizlilik kararı bulunmayan şüpheli ve tutuklu durumunda olan YTS’lerin ifadelerinden de yararlanılmıştır. Çalışmanın verilerine göre, itme faktörlerinden “anlamsızlık hissi” ile çekme faktörlerinden “çevrimiçi propaganda” hem DEAŞ’lı YTS’lerde hem de YPG’li YTS’lerde karşılaşılan ortak motivasyonel faktördür. Buna karşılık, DAEŞ’li YTS’ler, itme faktörleri olarak “sosyo-ekonomik koşullar, toplumsal dışlanma ve algılanan adaletsizlik hissi ve zulüm duygusu” kapsamında, YPG’li YTS’lerden ayrılmaktadır. YPG’li YTS’lerin ise DEAŞ’lı YTS’lerden farkı “hayal kırıklığı ve macera arayışı” noktasında şekillenmektedir. Diğer taraftan, DEAŞ’lı YTS’lileri çeken faktörler “maddi ödüller, dini nedenler, arınma söylemi ve sosyal ağlar” iken; YPG’li YTS’leri çeken motivasyonel faktörler “DEAŞ ile mücadele ve ideoloji”dir.

Keywords

yabancı terörist savaşçılar, motivasyon faktörleri, DEAŞ, YPG

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