Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told the United Nations General Assembly that the Kashmir dispute must be settled under UN Security Council resolutions and through dialogue, applauding the ceasefire between India and Pakistan achieved after last April’s conflict escalation.
Erdoğan said Ankara was “pleased with the ceasefire achieved following the tensions last April between Pakistan and India, which had escalated into a conflict.” He appealed for the Kashmir issue to be resolved “on the basis of the resolutions of the UN, for the best of our sisters and brothers in Kashmir, through dialogue, we hope.”
He returned to the topic after a period in which he had made no mention of Jammu and Kashmir in UNGA addresses, a change noted in 2024 amid Türkiye’s interest in its relationship with India and its bid to deepen ties with multilateral groupings.
The April conflict stemmed from a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in which 26 civilians died. India responded with “Operation Sindoor,” targeting militant infrastructure in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, triggering cross-border exchanges before both sides agreed to a ceasefire in May.
Erdoğan emphasised that peace and stability in South Asia depend on cooperation between India and Pakistan, including over counter-terrorism. He reiterated that solutions must reflect the aspirations of people in Kashmir, and said that Türkiye stands in solidarity with those in the region.
India rejected Erdoğan’s comments, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, and that external interference in its internal affairs is inappropriate. An official spokesperson demanded other countries focus instead on Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism, calling that the major threat to civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
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