- Turkish President Erdoğan referenced Jammu and Kashmir at UNGA.
- He urged dialogue on South Asian disputes, including Kashmir.
- India asserted Kashmir is sovereign, no external party locus.
India on Tuesday rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s references to Jammu and Kashmir during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, asserting that the issue concerns the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and that no external party has any locus standi on it.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India rejected what it described as “unwarranted references” to India and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the Turkish president during his UNGA address.
‘No External Party Has Any Locus Standi’
Responding to a question on Erdoğan’s remarks, Jaiswal said, “You would have seen that the remarks you referred to were made by the Turkish President. India rejects the unwarranted references to India and the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the President of Türkiye during his address to the UN General Assembly.”
“This is a matter, as you would understand, pertaining to India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and no external party has any locus standi on this issue,” he added.
What Erdoğan Said On Kashmir
Erdoğan had raised the Kashmir issue during his address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, calling for disputes in South Asia, including Kashmir, to be addressed through dialogue under the framework of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.
“In South Asia, it is important that all disputes, including the Kashmir issue, be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter and of relevant resolutions,” Erdoğan said.
“Provided that constructive action is taken, all issues can possibly be resolved,” he added.
India’s Position
New Delhi has consistently rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir by foreign governments and maintained that matters concerning the territory fall within India’s sovereignty. India has also opposed third-party intervention in issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir.
