Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again brought up the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly, saying that disputes in South Asia should be resolved through dialogue and in accordance with the UN Charter.
“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,” Erdogan said during his address on Tuesday.
He made the remarks in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the UN headquarters. Erdogan has repeatedly referred to Kashmir during UNGA speeches in recent years, despite India’s continued objections.
Apart from Kashmir, Erdogan urged the international community to take stronger action over Gaza, called for renewed recognition of Palestinian statehood and advocated reforms to the UN Security Council. He also called for an end to what he termed the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots.
The Palestinian cause featured prominently in Erdogan’s speech. Referring to the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was unable to attend the UN gathering for the second year in a row, Erdogan said Turkey would continue using the UN platform to represent the Palestinian people. He also strongly criticised Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and highlighted the severe humanitarian situation there.
ERDOGAN’S KASHMIR REMARKS OVER THE YEARS
Erdogan has referred to Kashmir several times during his UNGA addresses. While the tone of his comments has changed over the years, the issue has remained a recurring part of his speeches.
His most controversial remarks came in 2019, soon after India scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.
During the 74th UNGA in September 2019, Erdogan said that “8 million people are virtually under blockade, unfortunately, unable to step outside of Kashmir”. He also claimed that the international community had not paid adequate attention to the dispute during the previous 72 years.
New Delhi responded strongly to the remarks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled a scheduled visit to Turkey, while India also took steps to reduce defence cooperation with Ankara. India said Turkey should respect the sovereignty of other nations and refrain from commenting on its internal matters.
Erdogan continued making references to Kashmir in later UNGA speeches. In 2021, he called Kashmir an “ongoing problem for 74 years” and said the issue should be resolved in a manner reflecting the “aspirations of our Kashmiris”.
India once again objected to his comments.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Erdogan’s repeated interventions “reflected neither an understanding of history nor of the conduct of diplomacy”. New Delhi also cautioned that such remarks could affect bilateral relations.
After Kashmir featured less prominently in some of his subsequent UN speeches, Erdogan raised the issue again at the 80th UNGA session in 2025. His remarks followed a brief period of increased tensions between India and Pakistan.
“We are pleased with the ceasefire achieved following the tensions... The issue of Kashmir should be resolved on the basis of UN resolutions,” Erdogan said.
India again responded, reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country. New Delhi also criticised efforts to raise the matter at an international forum, maintaining that it concerns a bilateral and internal issue.
