The Syrian Kurdish political landscape is divided into two main camps. One is the Kurdish National Unity coalition, a broad alliance that includes pro-PKK factions, independent center-left groups, and Kurdish nationalist parties. The other is the Kurdish National Council (ENKS), a smaller coalition of five parties that are pro-KDP and largely influenced by Erbil. Over time, many independent-minded factions have split from ENKS, contributing to the growth of Kurdish National Unity as a more diverse political bloc.

Kurdish National Unity: The Coalition of TEV-DEM, HNKS, and Independent Kurdish Parties

The Kurdish National Unity coalition is a broad alliance consisting of 25 parties. This coalition includes SDF-backed and pro-PKK groups such as the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and other factions within TEV-DEM, the broader pro-PKK umbrella organization. However, it also encompasses nationalist and center-left groups that were previously part of the KDP-backed Kurdish National Council (ENKS).

A key example is the Kurdish National Alliance in Syria (HNKS), which is now aligned with Kurdish National Unity. This group consists primarily of center-left parties that cooperate with TEV-DEM but differ significantly on a crucial ideological issue: the recognition of the Kurdistan Region’s flag as the national Kurdish flag. Unlike PKK-affiliated groups, which have adopted their own Rojava-specific flag, these parties continue to raise the Kurdistan flag and acknowledge it as the national symbol of the Kurdish people. This position makes them ideologically closer to ENKS while still maintaining an active role and representation in the councils established in northeast Syria.

Although no reliable public opinion polls exist on Kurdish political allegiances in Syria, it is likely that the Kurdish National Unity coalition represents the majority of Syrian Kurds—meaning more than half of the Kurdish population. While the PYD and other pro-PKK groups have a strong popular base within this coalition, other non-PKK-aligned parties, such as the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekiti), also maintain a considerable following in Kurdish-majority areas, particularly in Hasakah province.

Parties of the Kurdish National Unity Coalition:

Kurdistan Democratic Peace Party

Democratic Union Party (PYD)

Star Congress (Kongreya Star)

Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party (P.D.K.S.)

Kurdistan Green Party

Kurdish Democratic Left Party in Syria

Kurdish Left Party in Syria

Kurdistan Liberal Union

Kurdistan Brotherhood Party (PBK)

Kurdish National Party in Syria

Kurdistan Democratic Change Party

Kurdish Renewal Movement – Syria

Democratic Struggle Party

Kurdistan Azadi Party

Free National Union Party – Rojava

Kurdistan Republican Party – Syria

Reform Movement – Syria

Kurdistan Communist Party (KKP)

Roj Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria

Kurdistan Future Movement

Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria (PDK-S)

Kurdistan Workers’ Union Party

Kurdistan National Assembly Party

Syrian Kurdish Democratic Accord Party

Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (Al-Parti)

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The Evolution of ENKS: Current Members, Withdrawals, and Expulsions

The Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS, Encûmena Niştimanî ya Kurdî li Sûriyê) was founded in 2011 with 11 political parties, but its membership has since dwindled to five. Established through an initiative by Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, ENKS initially brought together a broad coalition of Kurdish groups outside the PKK’s influence. This included leftist factions and parties aligned with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the KDP’s main rival in Iraqi Kurdistan. However, over time, its composition has narrowed to primarily those aligned with Barzani’s political vision within the Syrian Kurdish landscape.

ENKS was formerly part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC). However, the group later withdrew, arguing that the coalition had lost its relevance following the anticipated fall of the Assad government.

Below is a list of parties currently affiliated with ENKS as well as those that were previously members. Click on each party for more details about its leadership:

Parties Currently Affiliated with ENKS in Syria

1. Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria

• Status: Within the Council
• Key Figures:
  • Muhammad Ismail – Chairman of the Council and Party Secretary
  • Abdul Hakim Bashar – Political Bureau Member; Vice President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition
  • Saud Al-Mulla – Head of the Central Media Office
• Background:
  • Previously known as the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (Al-Parti) before merging with other Kurdish parties.

2. Kurdistan Yekiti Party – Syria

• Status: Within the Council
• Key Figures:
  • Suleiman Oso – Party Secretary
  • Abdullah Kaddo – Member of the Political Committee, Syrian Opposition Coalition
  • Ibrahim Biro – Member of the Foreign Relations Office
  • Fouad Aliko – Former Party Secretary

3. Kurdish Equality Democratic Party in Syria

• Status: Within the Council
• Key Figures:
  • Naamat Daoud – Party Secretary
  • Radwan Sido – Prominent party figure, legal activist

4. Kurdish Reform Movement in Syria

• Status: Within the Council
• Key Figures:
  • Faisal Youssef – Movement Coordinator

5. Kurdish National Democratic Party in Syria

• Status: Within the Council
• Key Figures:
  • Tahr Safouk

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Parties That Have Withdrawn from ENKS

1. Kurdish Progressive Democratic Party in Syria

• Status: Withdrawn
• Key Figures: Salah Darwish, Ahmad Suleiman

2. Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party

• Status: Withdrawn
• Key Figures: Jamal Sheikh Baqi

3. Kurdish Leftist Party in Syria

• Status: Withdrawn
• Key Figures: Muhammad Mousa, Saleh Kaddo

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Parties That Have Been Expelled from ENKS

1. Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria

• Status: Expelled
• Key Figures: Mohieddin Sheikh Ali, Mustafa Mshaikh

2. Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria

• Status: Expelled
• Key Figures: Nasruddin Ibrahim (Currently affiliated with the SDF-led Autonomous Administration)

3. Kurdish Democratic Accord Party in Syria

• Status: Expelled
• Key Figures: Fawzi Shankali (Currently affiliated with the SDF-led Autonomous Administration)

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Here is the ideological spectrum of the various parties. You can click on each dot, representing a party, for more details: