Prominently led by Abd al-Hamid Darwish for much of its history, who was described as "one of the last remaining of the original Kurdish political activists",[6] the PDPKS serves as the Syrian sister party of the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Born in a rural village of the al-Darbasiyah Subdistrict,[7] Darwish was the son of an agricultural landowner family[6] and as student became an activist for Syrian Kurdish issues; because of that, he was arrested several times.

[2] Even though part of the opposition, the PDPKS wanted to avoid open confrontation with the Ba'athist dictatorship under Hafez al-Assad, instead trying to bring about a peaceful democratization through soft pressure on the government and participation in the elections.

[6] As the conflict escalated into civil war, the PDPKS, KDPS, and PYD attempted to extend their influence in the Syrian Kurdish regions.

Many fighters affiliated with the PDPKS fought in the Battle of Ras al-Ayn,[13] and were killed by mujahideen and allied Free Syrian Army militants.

From then on, PDPKS members left the pro-PYD militias, and the party began to cooperate more closely with the KDPS, for example supporting the KNC's decision to join the (anti-PYD) National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.

[13] In late 2013, the PDPKS rejected the declaration of the autonomous region of Rojava by the PYD as "unilateral solution[] in isolation from the national forces",[21] and claimed that the new canton system was completely controlled by the PYD-led TEV-DEM organization.

[22] In mid-2016, the PDPKS participated in protests against the rebel shelling of YPG-held Sheikh Maqsood as well as Turkish attacks on Nusaybin,[23] and for the reconciliation of the KNC and PYD.

[4] The Asayish closed three offices of the PDPKS in Al-Hasakah Governorate in March 2017 on the basis that they were operated without a proper license, though opponents of the PYD saw the closure as political move.

[26] When the Syrian National Coalition declared the YPG a terrorist group in July, Abd al-Hamid Darwish strongly rejected this move.

[27] Furthermore, the PDPKS was among the Syrian Kurdish parties that condemned the Turkish airstrikes of April 2017 against PKK affiliates, including the YPG, in Syria and Iraq.

[36] The PDPKS' Women's Organization also appealed the United Nations, and relief agencies to send aid to those affected by widespread crop fires in northern and eastern Syria in 2019.

[39] In 2021, the PDPKS and the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party called on the international community to stop Turkey from repeatedly cutting the water supply for northeastern Syria.

[40] Since its foundation, the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party has defined itself through its generally moderate ideological position, adopting both centre-left to centre-right politics, while leaning more to the former than the latter.

[14] In hopes of preventing open conflict, the PDPKS generally maintained channels with the Syrian government,[14] was critical of aggressive opposition parties,[17][14] and denounced the PYD's attempts to establish Rojava as de facto autonomous region in 2013.

[4][14] In contrast to other Kurdish parties in Syria which tended to fracture, the PDPKS maintained relatively high cohesion under the long-time leadership of Abd al-Hamid Darwish.