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Turkish President Erdogan once again attempted to meddle in Kashmir issue despite India’s “internal matter” stance. He told Shehbaz Sharif that Turkey is ready to play its part.
Erdogan discusses Kashmir with Shehbaz Sharif (AP File Image)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has once again meddled in the Kashmir issue, which is for India and Pakistan to resolve, and offered to “explore ways to assist”.
He held talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said that he discussed Kashmir at length, expressing his interest in playing the role of a mediator between New Delhi and Islamabad.
“We held comprehensive talks on the Kashmir issue with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif and explored ways to assist. Balanced approach to issues can bring the parties closer to a solution and help prevent renewed escalation,” he said after the talks, suggesting that the two neighbouring countries get to the negotiating table.
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that talks and terrorism cannot happen together, adding that there are only two issues left to talk about with Pakistan – terrorism and the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to India.
Erdogan proceeded a step further and called for a “human rights-based resolution” to the Kashmir issue with the involvement of the international organisations – a complete contradiction to India’s stance.
“As Turkey, we hope for a resolution that respects human rights and involves constructive engagement from international bodies,” he said.
“If requested, Turkey is ready to play its part. We want peace,” Erdogan added.
This is not the first time he has made public remarks on Kashmir, which has often drawn a sharp response from India. New Delhi has consistently maintained that Kashmir is an internal matter of the country and needs no mediation, including from countries such as the United States.
Erdogan’s latest remarks on Kashmir come at a time when anger against Turkey has been on the rise ever since Ankara provided drones to Islamabad, which used them against India during Operation Sindoor. Calls have been made on a large scale to boycott Turkey for its backing of Pakistan during the recent conflict between the two nations, despite India’s humanitarian aid to Ankara during its time of need, such as the 2023 earthquake, after which New Delhi launched ‘Operation Dost’ to provide immediate relief.
Erdogan has often supported Pakistan’s views on Kashmir and has raised the issue at international platforms like the United Nations General Assembly. His recent comments are likely to be seen by New Delhi as another example of Turkey not respecting India’s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir.
Relations between India and Turkey have been tense because of this issue. In the past, India has told Turkey through diplomatic talks that Kashmir is a matter to be discussed only between India and Pakistan, as agreed in the Simla Agreement.
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