On Feb. 2, one of the main Syrian Kurdish groups, the Kurdish National Council (KNC), decided to expel its members who support the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) plan to form local administrations with 22 ministries, each in three different Kurdish enclaves in Syria. This has led to tensions between the two Kurdish blocs over power.

The PYD has managed to convince some KNC members to join the administrations formed by the PYD, angering the leadership of the KNC that backs the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of President Massoud Barzani. The Barzani-backed parties fear it could give more legitimacy to the administration, which they have called unilateral and authoritarian and allied to the Syrian government.

Officials of the new administrations have indicated they are open to new relations with Barzani’s government, Turkey, Iran and the Iraqi government.

The KNC and PYD supported by the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have tried to work together since the Erbil Agreement in 2012 to administer the Kurdish areas through the Supreme Kurdish Council. But the KNC no longer recognizes the body and expelled KNC members who support the PYD.