The Kurds will be influential in the settlement of the uprising in Syria and yet their role in the events 2011-2012 is poorly understood. Tension between the Kurds and the Syrian state has been rising in the past two decades and so the complex role of the Kurds in the current uprising appears puzzling. This paper seeks to shed light on the responses of the Kurds to the uprising and their role within it. It will also provide analysis of three critical factors affecting this: the Kurdish relationships with the Syrian state; with the Syrian opposition; and the trans-state Kurdish dimension. The paper will argue that while most Kurds favour the removal of the Ba’thist regime, the complexities of these three critical factors have encourage a nuanced response to the uprising among Arab citizens of Syria. The Syria state has sought to pacify the Kurds by offering concessions and while these may be insufficient, the overthrow of the current rulers leads to the question of who will take their place. Kurds are suspicious of the non-Kurdish Syrian opposition and this movement has yet to accommodate Kurdish aspirations and hence gain Kurdish support. As ever in Kurdish politics, the trans-state dimension of Kurdayeti (Kurdishness) means that developments in neighbouring states, most significantly Turkey, also affect the actions of Kurds in Syria. The research for this paper will build on the author’s previous work on the Kurdish national movement in Syria and the evolving concept of serhildan (uprising) among the Kurdish population. Utilizing primary material from Kurdish websites, blogs, political parties and cultural, human rights and youth organisations, and interviews with Kurdish political figures and popular activists, the research will provide a detailed examination of organised and popular Kurdish responses over the period from March 2011 to the date of submission. Very little research is being conducted on Kurdish politics and popular mobilization in Syria and this paper would help to fill an important gap.