The many names of the PKK

Al Sanadid Forces: The Forces of the Brave. An Arab fighting group that operates under the banner of the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

Asayish: The police force of the areas controlled by the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

BCB: The Bob Crow Brigade. A leftist group of foreign fighters from Britain and Ireland who joined the International Freedom Battalion (EOT), which fights for the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).  

BOG: The United Freedom Forces. A union of pro-PKK leftist Turkish militants from the Revolutionary Communist Party (DKP) and Marxist–Leninist Armed Propaganda Corps-Revolutionary Front (MLSB/DC). 

DBP: The Democratic Regions Party. A fraternal party of the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey’s southeastern provinces. 

DK: The Revolutionary Headquarters. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

DKP: The Revolutionary Communist Party. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

DTK: The Democratic Society Party. A umbrella organisation that brings together various Kurdish groups, including the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). 

EOT: The International Freedom Battalion. A union of leftist foreign militant groups, including leftist Turkish militants, who fight for the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).   

HBDH: The Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement. An alliance of ten pro-PKK leftist organisations in Turkey. 

HDK: The Peoples' Democratic Congress. A union of leftist organisations in Turkey that founded the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

HDP: The Peoples' Democratic Party. A pro-PKK political party that holds seats in the Turkish parliament. 

HKB: The Henri Krasucki Brigade. A leftist group of foreign fighters from France who joined the International Freedom Battalion (EOT), which fights for the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

HPC: The Civilian Defense Forces. An armed civilian force in areas controlled by the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

HPE: The Ezidkhan Defense Units. A Yazidi militia set up to defend Iraq’s Sinjar from Daesh with links to the Sinjar Alliance, which includes PKK-backed Yazidi militias. 

HPG: The People's Defense Forces. The military wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

HPJ: The Women's Defence Forces. The female-only fighting force of the PKK-affiliated Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) in Iran.

HSNB: The Bethnahrain Women's Protection Forces. The female-only fighting force of the Syriac Union Party (SUP) that operates under the banner of the Women’s Protection Unit (YPJ), female-only branch of the People's Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

HXP: The Self-Defense Forces. A locally recruited militia of conscripts in the areas controlled by the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

Jabhat al Akrad: The Kurdish Front. A Kurdish fighting group in Syria with links to both the Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

KCK: The Kurdistan Communities Union. Serves as the umbrella organisation that unites all groups and affiliates that subscribe to PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan’s ideology.

KJK: The female’s branch of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), the umbrella organisation that unites all groups and affiliates that subscribe to PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan’s ideology.

KODAR: The East Kurdistan Democratic and Free Society. The political wing of the PKK-affiliated Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) in Iran. 

KNK: The Kurdistan National Congress. An international lobby group of pro-PKK activists and sympathisers. 

MFS: The Syriac Military Council. The male-only fighting force of the Syriac Union Party (SUP) that operates under the banner of the People's Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

MKP: The Maoist Communist Party of Turkey. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

MLKP: The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

MLSB/DC: The Marxist–Leninist Armed Propaganda Corps-Revolutionary Front. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH).  

NCC: The National Coordination Committee for the Forces of Democratic Change. A Kurdish-dominated Syrian group with links to Bashar al Assad’s regime that includes the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

PÇDK: The Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party. The Iraqi affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

PDK: The Kurdistan Democratic Party/North. A banned political party which seeks Kurdish independence from Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

PDKO: The Proletariat Revolutionary Liberation Organisation. A communist faction in Turkey that is a member of the United Freedom Forces (BOG), a union of pro-PKK leftist militias in Turkey. 

PJAK: The Kurdistan Free Life Party. The Iranian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

PKK: The Kurdistan Workers' Party. A leftist militant group listed as a terrorist organisation by a number of countries and international bodies including Turkey, the US and the EU. 

PYD: The Democratic Union Party. The Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

RC: The Communist Reconstruction. A leftist group of foreign fighters from Spain who joined the International Freedom Battalion (EOT), which fights for the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).  

RUIS: The Revolutionary Union for Internationalist Solidarity. A leftist group of foreign fighters from Greece who joined the International Freedom Battalion (EOT), which fights for the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

SDC: The Syrian Democratic Council. The political wing of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is largely comprised of the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

SDF: The Syrian Democratic Forces. A US-backed militia which is largely comprised of militants from the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

SI: The Social Insurrection. A green/anarchist faction that is a member of the United Freedom Forces (BOG), a union of pro-PKK leftist militias in Turkey.

Sinjar Alliance: A Yazidi militia in Iraq’s Sinjar which is backed by the PKK. 

SUP: The Syriac Union Party. An Assyrian political party with paramilitary capabilities which contributes fighters to the People's Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

Sutoro: The Syriac Security Office. The police force of the Syriac Union Party (SUP) that operates under the banner of the Asayish, the police force of the areas controlled by the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

TAK: The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks. A militant offshoot of the PKK which seeks Kurdish independence from Turkey.  

TDP: The Revolutionary Party of Turkey. A communist faction that is a member of the United Freedom Forces (BOG), a union of pro-PKK leftist militias in Turkey. 

TEV-DEM: The Movement for a Democratic Society. A co-ordinating body that administers areas in northern Syria controlled by the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

TIKB: The Union of Revolutionary Communists of Turkey. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

TKEP/L: The Communist Labour Party of Turkey/Leninist. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

TKP/ML: The Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist–Leninist. An armed far-left organisation in Turkey and member of the pro-PKK Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH). 

YBS: The Sinjar Resistance Units. A militia of Yazidi fighters from Iraq’s Sinjar which is part of the PKK-backed Sinjar Alliance.

YDG-H: The Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement. The urban, militant youth wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

YJE: The Yazidi Women's Units. A female-only militia of Yazidi fighters from Iraq’s Sinjar which is part of the PKK-backed Sinjar Alliance.

YJA STAR: The Free Women's Units. The female-only military wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

YPG: The People's Protection Units. The armed wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

YPJ: The Women's Protection Units. The female-only branch of the People's Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

YPS: The Civil Protection Units. The male-only branch of the PKK’s Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H) urban youth group.

YPS-Jin: The Civil Protection Units. The female-only branch of the PKK’s Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H) urban youth group.

YRK: The East Kurdistan Force. The armed wing of the PKK-affiliated Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) in Iran.