Erdogan calls for solution in Kashmir during UN General Assembly speech

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a solution to a long-running dispute between India and Pakistan regarding Kashmir during his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. 

“We maintain our stance in favour of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions,” the Turkish leader said. 

He described the Kashmir conflict as a "burning issue" that is "key to the stability and peace in South Asia".

President Erdogan has frequently used his platform at the UN to raise the issue of Kashmir, and his call on Tuesday for dialogue between the disputing sides was welcomed by Kashmiri groups.

“This is the only means of achieving a genuine and lasting peace in this volatile conflict,” Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, secretary general of Washington-based advocacy group World Kashmir Awareness Forum said. 

The disputed region of Kashmir has long been a source of contention between India and Pakistan, with wars breaking out over it in 1965 and 1999. 

We would like to thank honourable President Erdogan for once again standing with the people of the Jammu and Kashmir at the #UNGA and calling for resolution of the dispute within the framework of UNSC resolutions. pic.twitter.com/tQ4XUoED6c

— Pakistan Embassy Turkey (@PakinTurkey) September 22, 2021

Today, Kashmir is one of the most militarised zones in the world, with 500,000 Indian security forces deployed in the region, and the Modi-led Indian government has been accused of persecuting Muslims. ] 

Erdogan’s comments regarding Kashmir have angered India, who described the issue as an “internal matter”.

India’s Minister of External Affairs held a bilateral meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, to discuss the need for adherence to relevant UN Security Council resolutions in respect to Cyprus. 

Turkey has long remained firm in its claims to the northern half of the Mediterranean island. 

During his speech on Tuesday, the Turkish president also raised the issue of the Uighur Muslims in China and the treatment of the Rohingya Muslims, who have faced campaigns of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. 

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is due to address the UN General Assembly via video link on Friday.