United Nations: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not mention Kashmir in his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the first time in years, breaking with a convention he has followed since 2019.
This represented a notable shift from his typical attitude, in which he frequently emphasised Jammu and Kashmir, notably since India repealed Article 370 and abolished the region’s unique status.
His remarks were interpreted as inappropriate interference with India’s internal affairs, and New Delhi consistently denounced them as such.
Since 2019, Erdogan has used his UNGA platform to condemn India’s policy in Jammu & Kashmir, alleging that peace, prosperity, and stability were absent in the Valley.
This year, however, Erdogan spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, focussing mostly on the Israel-Gaza conflict and strongly condemning the UN for what he described as turning the Palestinian region into the “world’s largest cemetery.”
His decision to avoid mentioning Kashmir was remarkable, though the reasons remained unknown.
India’s global prominence may have affected Erdogan’s decision. Erdogan’s softer attitude on Kashmir could be a diplomatic initiative to improve relations with India.
In 2019, shortly after India decided to revoke Article 370, Erdogan had stated at the UNGA, “In order for the Kashmiri people to look at a safe future together with their Pakistani and Indian neighbours, it is imperative to solve the problem through dialogue and on the basis of justice and equity, not through clashes.”
He claimed that millions in the region were “virtually under blockade” and in need of international attention.
The following year, in 2020, Erdogan again emphasised the Kashmir issue, stating that the Kashmir “conflict” is still a “burning issue,” adding that the steps taken following the abolition of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir “further complicated the problem.”
He had also called for a resolution through dialogue within the framework of UN resolutions.
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Over the years, India’s representatives at the UN, including T.S. Tirumurti, the then Permanent Representative to the UN, have urged Turkey to respect other countries’ sovereignty and reflect on its own policies rather than interfering in India’s internal affairs.
Erdogan has publicly pursued deeper ties with Pakistan. During his February 2020 visit, Erdogan committed to continuing to support Islamabad’s stance on Kashmir while speaking to a joint session of the Pakistani parliament.
Erdogan has subsequently been publicly cosying up to Pakistan. During his February 2020 visit to Pakistan, Erdogan reiterated his support for Islamabad’s stance on Kashmir.
Despite continuing to express concerns about Kashmir from 2021 to 2023 and his anti-India stance, Erdogan’s speech at the UNGA this year made no mention of the region, possibly signalling a shift in Turkey’s priorities on the international stage and reflecting India’s growing influence as a global power.
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–IANS
Photo source: Recep Tayyip Erdogan@X
