Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reignited diplomatic tensions by raising the Kashmir issue during his address to the 80th United Nations General Assembly, urging India and Pakistan to resolve the long-standing dispute through peaceful dialogue.
“We hope and pray that Kashmir will find peace through dialogue and justice,” Erdoğan said, reiterating Turkey’s consistent call for a negotiated settlement.
Erdoğan’s comments came during a broader speech focused on global conflicts, humanitarian crises, and the need for multilateral cooperation. While he did not directly criticize either country, his remarks were seen as a veiled appeal to the international community to pay closer attention to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Turkey’s Stance and Diplomatic Ripples
This is not the first time Erdoğan has mentioned Kashmir at the UN. His previous statements in 2019 and 2020 drew sharp rebukes from India, which maintains that Kashmir is an internal matter. India has consistently rejected third-party mediation, emphasizing bilateral mechanisms under the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.
Erdoğan’s latest remarks are likely to provoke a diplomatic response from New Delhi, which has previously summoned Turkish envoys over similar comments.
#WATCH | New York | At the 80th session of UNGA, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says, "... We are pleased with the ceasefire achieved following the tensions last April between Pakistan and India, which had escalated into a conflict... The issue of Kashmir should be… pic.twitter.com/YqWx3l5X1C
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2025
Global Reactions and Context
Erdoğan’s speech also touched on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the war in Ukraine, and humanitarian issues in Africa. His call for justice in Kashmir was framed within a broader appeal for global equity and reform of international institutions.
The Kashmir region has witnessed periodic unrest, with both India and Pakistan administering parts of the territory and claiming it in full. The revocation of Article 370 by India in 2019, which removed the region’s special status, remains a flashpoint in bilateral relations.