Nearly a week after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made remarks on Kashmir during his visit to Pakistan, India has issued a strong and unequivocal response, calling his comments "unwarranted" and "unacceptable". The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a stern statement on Friday, reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India, and no foreign nation has any right to interfere in India's internal matters.
In response to Erdogan’s statement, India has lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Turkish ambassador in New Delhi, making it clear that such comments undermine India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed deep displeasure over Turkey's stance, emphasizing that New Delhi outright rejects any external interference in matters related to Kashmir.
"We reject such objectionable comments on matters which are internal to India. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. No other country has any locus standi to comment on it. Instead of commenting on the internal affairs of another country, it would have been appropriate if Pakistan's policy of using cross-border terrorism against India, which remains the biggest threat for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, had been called out," Jaiswal said during a press briefing.
The Indian government’s strong rebuttal comes in response to Erdogan’s remarks during his two-day visit to Pakistan last week, where he stated that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue in accordance with UN resolutions, while taking into account the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The Turkish president went further, declaring Turkey’s continued support for Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute, saying, "Our state and our nation, as in the past, stand in solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers today."
This is not the first time Erdogan has raised the Kashmir issue on an international platform, often echoing Pakistan’s position on the matter. His repeated statements on Kashmir—particularly at global forums such as the United Nations General Assembly—have led to diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey. New Delhi has consistently opposed such attempts to internationalize the Kashmir issue, maintaining that the matter is strictly bilateral between India and Pakistan and does not require any external intervention.
India’s response also highlighted Pakistan’s use of terrorism as a state policy, calling it the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region. The MEA’s strong statement emphasized that rather than commenting on India’s internal affairs, Turkey should focus on holding Pakistan accountable for harboring and supporting cross-border terrorism—a persistent concern raised by India in international diplomatic circles.
Turkey’s repeated alignment with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue has led to strained diplomatic ties with India, which has, in turn, taken a series of measures to counter Ankara's stance. In recent years, India has scaled down defense cooperation with Turkey, imposed trade restrictions, and deepened strategic and economic ties with Turkey’s regional rivals, including Greece, Cyprus, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Erdogan’s latest remarks come at a time when India has significantly strengthened its diplomatic relations with key Gulf nations. Countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, which once maintained a neutral stance on Kashmir, have now moved towards closer strategic and economic engagement with India, further isolating Pakistan’s position on the matter.
As India continues to assert its stance on Kashmir, it is expected that New Delhi will push back against any further attempts to internationalize the issue. India is likely to engage diplomatically with Turkey and other global partners to ensure that its position on Jammu and Kashmir remains undisputed on the global stage. Meanwhile, Erdogan’s latest comments may further complicate Ankara’s relationship with India, particularly in areas of trade, defense, and regional diplomacy.
