23 years since establishment of PYD.. political journey and transformations ahead of its extraordinary congress

Today, September 20, marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which was founded in 2003 during a congress that lasted several days, during which strategic issues and matters concerning the region, Kurdistan and Syria were discussed.

The party began its political and organisational journey during one of the most difficult periods faced by the Kurdish people in Syria and in the other parts of Kurdistan, which were divided following the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement between Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran.

One of the party’s main tasks was to prepare cadres committed to the modern methodology and the new paradigm through intensive political training. It also worked to develop its public democratic and rights-based activities aimed at building society, moving beyond narrow political activity to encompass the economic, social, cultural, environmental and training fields.

In its early years, the party was subjected to a conspiracy by a group described as traitorous, which sought to separate it from the Kurdish Freedom Movement and disavow its legacy and values of struggle.

No sooner had the Democratic Union Party (PYD) been established than the 12 March 2004 uprising broke out in Qamishlo. The Baathist regime tightened its grip on Kurdish parties and anyone opposed to its policies, including Kurds, Arabs and Syriacs, with Kurds bearing the brunt of the repression through the pursuit of political activists and their imprisonment.

Campaigns of pursuit, arrest and torture specifically targeted the party’s cadres and leadership. By the beginning of the Syrian revolution, around 1,500 of its members had been detained in the prisons of the former regime, and the fate of some of them remains unknown to this day.

The party continued its activities effectively until the 19 July Revolution began in Kobani and spread to Afrin, Qamishlo, Derik and Hasakah. Two years later, it culminated in the establishment of the Democratic Autonomous Administration, regarded as its most prominent achievement.

Party congresses

Months of preparations, involving prominent figures from Rojava’s administrators and political activists, culminated in the founding congress of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), held on 20 September 2003 and lasting one week. Zardasht Hajo was elected as party leader. The congress also adopted a struggle for the freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan, called for a democratic, decentralised constitution in Syria, and approved measures to strengthen women’s organisation, train cadres and support the families of martyrs.

The second congress was regarded as a congress aimed at purifying the party and confronting betrayal, following the killing of activist Maysaa Baqi (Shilan Kobani) and her four comrades — Zakaria Ibrahim, Hikmat Tokmak (Fuad), Nabu Ali (Jamil) and Haji Juma Ali (Jwan) — in the Iraqi city of Mosul on 29 November 2004. They were killed in an intelligence operation while returning to Rojava.

Amid these circumstances, and under the slogan “Rebuilding on the path of martyr Shilan and her comrades and correcting the course,” the emergency congress was held on 10 February 2005, at which Fuad Omar was elected party leader.

The third congress marked a turning point in correcting the party’s course by consolidating criticism, self-criticism and accountability, as well as promoting the philosophy of the Democratic Nation and the Third Way approach, based on building an ethical, political and ecological society that guarantees women’s freedom, in accordance with the ideas of leader Abdullah Ocalan.

At its fourth congress, held on 27 March 2007 and lasting three days, Fuad Omar was re-elected as party leader. The congress focused on organising society through communes and councils in line with the directives of leader Abdullah Ocalan. However, the work did not reach the required level due to campaigns by the Baath Party and arrests targeting the party’s cadres, including martyr Osman Dadali, who died under torture on 18 February 2008.

The fifth congress was held on 16 June 2012 in Qamishlo under the slogan “From a free, democratic Syria towards the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Rojava.” It was marked by the adoption of a co-presidency system and the election of Asya Abdullah and Salih Muslim as co-presidents. It also marked the beginning of institution-building and preparations for the Autonomous Administration project through the establishment of communes and councils.

On 20 September 2015, the party’s sixth congress was held in the town of Rimelan in the Jazira region, attended by large crowds and around 70 Kurdish political figures, including Mala Bakhtiyar of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as well as delegations from France, Denmark, Norway, Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan. Kurdish parties and Syrian opposition forces also attended. The congress reaffirmed the unity of the Syrian ranks.

On 27 and 28 September 2017, the seventh congress was held in the Jazira region under the slogan “From a free Rojava towards a democratic federal Syria,” with Shahoz Hassan and Aisha Hiso elected as co-presidents of the party.

The eighth congress was held on 24 February 2020 in Rimelan under the slogan “Through the Democratic Union, we defeat occupation, develop the Autonomous Administration and build a democratic Syria.” During the congress, Aisha Hiso and Anwar Muslim were elected as co-presidents of the party.

The party’s ninth congress was held in Hasakah on 18 June 2022 and lasted three days. Salih Muslim and Asya Abdullah were elected as co-presidents of the party.

On 21 September 2024, the Democratic Union Party held its tenth general congress following a series of preparatory conferences in Rojava and Europe. Gharib Hiso and Perwin Yusuf were elected as the party’s co-presidents.

an extraordinary congress and expected changes

On August 24, ANHA agency reported, citing sources from the Democratic Union Party, that the party was moving towards holding an extraordinary congress in October. The sources explained that preparations and arrangements for the congress are currently underway and that the party is expected to undergo major changes.

the martyrdom of the party’s founders and leaders

On July 30, 2013, the party lost one of its prominent pioneers, martyr Issa Hesso, who served as the representative of the Democratic Union Party and head of its general foreign relations office. He was killed when his car, which was parked in front of his home in the Kornish neighbourhood of Qamishlo, exploded.

On March 11, 2026, politician, member of the Presidential Council of the Democratic Union Party and former co-president of the party Salih Muslim was martyred following a chronic illness.

Muslim was one of the party’s early founders in 2003 and was arrested in 2004 over his political activities. He served as the party’s co-president for two terms, the first from 2012 to 2017 and the second from 2022 to 2024. He subsequently headed the foreign relations portfolio until his death.

the Syrian crisis and the adoption of the third way

During the Syrian revolution, the party adopted the Third Way and worked with all its capacities to organise the people and exercise legitimate self-defence, while opening space for political and social forces to play their role. The Autonomous Administrations were subsequently formed despite the war waged by those opposed to the peoples.

Thanks to the sacrifices of people from all components, the party remains at the forefront of the struggle, contributing to the building of society and its institutions.

Sh-S

ANHA