India rejects any comments from a third country on Kashmir.
Ankara: India has expressed concern over the statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supporting Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue. India has told Turkey that Erdogan is speaking in Pakistan’s language regarding Kashmir, which is not acceptable.
India has clarified that the Kashmir issue is entirely bilateral and cannot be internationalized. India has warned Erdogan about his stance at a time when Pakistan is trying to gain Turkey’s support to strengthen its position on the Kashmir issue.
Turkish President Erdogan recently visited Pakistan. After talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Erdogan stated, “The solution to the Kashmir issue should be in accordance with the United Nations proposals, keeping in mind the hopes of the people of Kashmir. Our country stands in solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers as it did in the past.”
In response, India has made it clear that Turkey should not speak like Pakistan.
India has consistently emphasized that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India. India considers it a bilateral issue and rejects any comments from a third country on Kashmir.
Previously, India had expressed objections to Erdogan’s statements made about Kashmir. Once again, India has raised this issue with Turkey and clearly expressed its displeasure to Ankara.
Experts say that Erdogan’s recent statements, after a gap of one and a half years, represent a kind of U-turn. The Turkish president had previously remained silent on the Kashmir issue. He was quiet on Kashmir as he wanted to maintain trade relations with India and join BRICS.
Erdogan’s stance has changed in the absence of necessity regarding BRICS. Experts say that Erdogan often reverses his statements. They also suggest that Turkey’s stance resembles forgetting India’s goodwill regarding BRICS.
