Erdogan’s unequivocal stance on Kashmir rattles India

New Delhi rejects Turkish president’s comments on IOJ&K, asks him to desist from interfering in ‘internal...

KARACHI: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments on occupied Kashmir, wherein he compared the struggle of Kashmiri people with that of the fight by Turkish people against foreign domination during the World War I, have left India flustered.

Erdogan, while addressing a joint session of the Pakistani parliament for a record fourth time, had pledged to continue his unflinching support for Islamabad’s stance on Kashmir, comparing it to Turkey’s own historic 1915 Gallipoli campaign and going as far as saying that the plight of the people of the Indian-occupied territory meant as much to his country as it did to Pakistan on Friday.

Reacting to the statement, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Saturday rejected all references made by the Turkish president on Jammu and Kashmir, asking him to desist from interfering in India’s ‘internal affairs’, Indian media reported.

Harping on Delhi’s terror mantra, Kumar said the occupied valley is “integral and inalienable part of the country”.

“We call upon the Turkish leadership to not interfere in India’s internal affairs and develop a proper understanding of the facts, including the grave threat posed by terrorism emanating from Pakistan to India and the region,” he was quoted as saying.

Kashmir is Gallipoli for us: Erdogan

The EAM spokesperson was responding to a question on Erdogan’s comments on Kashmir as well as its reference in a joint declaration by Turkey and Pakistan.

Erdogan said Kashmiri people have suffered for decades and their sufferings increased following the unilateral steps taken by the Modi administration in the recent past, referring to New Delhi revoking the special status of the disputed territory last year.

The Turkish president observed that the Kashmir issue could not be resolved through conflict but through justice and fairness. “Such a solution will be in the interest of all parties. Turkey will continue to stand by justice, peace and dialogue,” he said.

The Turkish president had also raised the Kashmir issue during his address at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019.

“Our Kashmiri brothers and sisters have suffered for decades and the transgressions have become graver. We once again demonstrated our country’s sensitivity in this matter by defending Kashmir at the 74th United Nations General Assembly.”

Tensions have heightened between the two nuclear-armed rivals after the new Indian army chief, Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane last month said that his force would take steps to take control of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) if the Indian government gave such an order.

Kashmir has been a zone of war between the two states since time immemorial, but violence has been on the rise ever since India revoked Kashmir’s special status last year on August 5, 2019.