India on Wednesday rejected comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that the Kashmir dispute is a “hot topic” for the stability of South Asia, saying they amounted to “serious interference” in the country’s internal affairs. .
This was not the first time that India and Turkey engaged in a concise exchange on the issue of Kashmir; Erdogan has repeatedly raised the matter after the Indian government removed Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August last year, and India has rejected it each time.
Also read: World powers take the stage, virtually, in the UN debate
In a video message for a special session marking the UN’s 75th anniversary, Erdogan said: “The Kashmir conflict, which is also key to South Asian stability and peace, remains a hot topic. The measures taken after the abolition of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir further complicated the problem.
“We are in favor of solving this problem through dialogue within the framework of UN resolutions and especially in line with the expectations of the Kashmiri people.”
Soon after, TS Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative to the UN, tweeted that Erdogan’s remarks were “totally unacceptable.”
“We have seen comments from the President of Turkey on [union territory] from Jammu and Kashmir. They constitute a serious interference in the internal affairs of India and are completely unacceptable. Turkey should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect more deeply on its own policies, ”Tirumurti said.
Erdogan’s remarks were welcomed by his ally, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who tweeted: “I deeply appreciate President Erdogan raising his voice once again in support of the rights of the Kashmiri people during his speech. before the UNGA. Turkey’s unwavering support remains a source of strength for the people of Kashmir in their legitimate struggle for self-determination. ”
Erdogan was one of the few leaders who had raised the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly session last year and subsequently also raised it during a visit to Pakistan in February. He raised the matter even though India’s Foreign Ministry said such comments would affect bilateral relations.
In February, India made a strong bargain with the Turkish government over Erdogan’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to Islamabad. “These comments reflect neither an understanding of the history nor of the conduct of diplomacy. They distort the events of the past to promote a narrow vision of the present, ”said the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time.
The February statements were also described as “yet another example of a pattern of Turkey’s interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” and India also rejected Turkey’s “repeated attempts to justify the cross-border terrorism so blatantly practiced by Pakistan.” . .
.
