ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has expressed concern over the recent escalations in Syria between Kurdish-led and Damascus-affiliated forces, deeming it an attempt to undermine the peace process in Turkey.

A delegation from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which is the main mediator between Ankara and the PKK during the ongoing peace process, visited Ocalan in the Imrali island prison on Saturday, with the main topic of discussion being the developments in Syria.

Deadly clashes have intensified between Kurdish-led forces and factions linked with the Syrian government in recent weeks, leading to the death of hundreds of civilians, the displacement of hundreds of thousands, and jeopardizing prospects for future relations and cooperation between the Kurds and Damascus.

“Mr. Ocalan stated that he is extremely concerned due to the clashes and increasing tension, and evaluated this situation as an attempt to undermine the Peace and Democratic Society Process,” read a statement from DEM Party.

The PKK and the Turkish government have been engaged in a peace process for over a year. Ocalan and DEM Party have repeatedly expressed concern over the lack of concrete measures to establish a political framework ensuring the success of the peace process.

“He emphatically stressed that all problems in Syria can and should only be resolved through dialogue, negotiation, and common sense,” it added.

The jailed PKK leader said he was “ready to fulfill his responsibility to ensure that this issue is resolved through dialogue and moved away from conflict,” calling on all actors and parties to “play their positive roles and act responsibly and diligently in this matter.

The current Syrian government is heavily backed by Ankara. Turkey views the People's Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Force's (SDF) leadership, as inextricably linked to its domestic foe, the PKK, and therefore sees the SDF as the PKK's Syrian offshoot.

Last week, DEM Party slammed Turkish authorities, specifically Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the country's National Defense Ministry, for playing a negative and escalatory role in the recent clashes in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods.

The PKK held a congress in May wherein the group decided to dissolve and disband upon the call of Ocalan. The group has since then taken two significant steps: Laying down the arms of some of its commanders in a historic ceremony, and announcing their withdrawal from Turkish territory.

Turkey has demanded that Kurdish forces in northeast Syria (Rojava) also lay down arms.

In early October, leader of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli urged the PKK to call on Kurdish forces in Rojava to lay down arms, suggesting that the Turkish parliament should hold direct talks with Ocalan on the matter.