New Delhi, Sep 29 (KNO): Reiterating that no external party has any locus standi on matters concerning the India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly.
Responding to questions on Erdogan’s remarks, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said India rejects the “unwarranted references” to India and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the Turkish president during his address to the 81st 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,” Jaiswal said.
Pertinently, Erdogan, while addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, had said disputes in South Asia, including Kashmir, should be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.
His latest reference marked the seventh time since 2019 that the Turkish president has raised Kashmir in his UN General Assembly address.
Erdogan first raised the issue at the UNGA after India’s August 2019 decision to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status. He subsequently referred to Kashmir in his addresses in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. He did not mention it in 2024 but raised it again in 2025.
India has consistently rejected references to Kashmir by Turkey and maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country.
New Delhi has also maintained that India and Pakistan should resolve their differences bilaterally, citing the 1972 Simla Agreement.
India has maintained that any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism and “talks and terror” cannot go together—(KNO)