India rejects Erdogan’s Kashmir remarks at UN General Assembly

India has rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his address to the United Nations General Assembly. India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, described the remarks as unwarranted during a biweekly media briefing on Tuesday. Erdogan had said that disputes in South Asia, including the Kashmir issue, should be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter.

Jaiswal was asked about India’s response to the Turkish president’s comments. “India rejects unwarranted references to India and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the President of Turkiye during his UNGA address,” Jaiswal said. He said the matter concerned India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and that no external party had a role in the issue.

India has previously maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is, was and will remain an integral part of the country. The comments reflect New Delhi’s stated position that Kashmir should not be raised by outside governments in international forums. The supplied material does not include a response from Turkey or from other parties to the dispute.

Erdogan’s remarks came during the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. In the passage cited by the Indian ministry, he referred to dialogue and the UN Charter as the framework for addressing disputes in South Asia. India’s response focused on its objection to the reference rather than setting out any new policy.

Jaiswal did not indicate that the government planned to take further action against Turkey over the statement. The disagreement concerns the status and political future of Jammu and Kashmir, an issue on which India has consistently asserted sovereignty. The foreign ministry’s statement reiterated that position while rejecting the involvement of external parties.