Shruti Suman
During his address to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan brought up the Kashmir issue. He emphasized that achieving lasting peace in Kashmir through dialogue and collaboration between India and Pakistan would contribute to regional peace, stability, and prosperity in South Asia. Erdogan expressed Turkey’s commitment to supporting efforts in this direction.
This statement follows his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, where they discussed strengthening trade and infrastructure relations. Erdogan also commended India’s role in the United Nations Security Council and advocated for expanding the number of permanent members beyond the current five, suggesting a combination of five permanent and 15 rotating members.
Erdogan has consistently raised the Kashmir issue in his previous UN General Assembly addresses. Last year, he expressed concern that despite both India and Pakistan gaining sovereignty and independence 75 years ago, they have not achieved peace and solidarity between them. He expressed hope for a fair and lasting resolution in Kashmir. In 2020, Erdogan’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir in a pre-recorded video statement during the General Debate was met with strong opposition from India, which considered it “completely unacceptable” and urged Turkey to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reconsider its policies.
Khushi Sikarwar
