For the first time in years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not mention Jammu and Kashmir in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). What is being seen as a diplomatic victory for India has left Pakistan stunned. Islamabad says that this does not show any change in Türkiye’s stand on Kashmir.
Erdogan’s non-mention of Kashmir is being seen as a major change in his stance. This comes at a time when Türkiye is trying to become a member of the BRICS grouping to build alliances beyond the West.
This change is notable because as recently as in February, Turkey had joined Pakistan in spreading rumors on the Kashmir issue at the multilateral forum.
At the 55th UN Human Rights Council, India exercised its ‘right of reply’ to give a strong response to Turkey and Pakistan over the mention of Jammu and Kashmir on the forum.
India’s First Secretary Anupama Singh said, “We regret the comments made by Turkiye on this matter which is an internal matter of India, and hope that he will refrain from making unsolicited comments on our internal matters in future.”
Turkiye is the new official name of Türkiye.
Pakistan, Who was confident of Erdogan’s support on Kashmir issueThey are troubled by the sudden change in Türkiye’s stance, but are saying that no meaning should be taken from the speech.
A spokesman for Turkey’s leading AK Party said in September, “Our President has already expressed several times that we want to become a member of BRICS. Our request in this matter is clear, and the process is moving forward within this framework.” Is.”
BRICS, the emerging market grouping that started with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, this year added four new members – Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
Türkiye’s request to join BRICS is significant as it is seen as a counterweight to Western alliances.
Even Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who met President Erdogan on Monday, did not mention Kashmir as one of the issues discussed. Instead, he highlighted Gaza in his X post.
“We assured each other of our constant and continued support on core interests, and also discussed regional developments, especially the situation in Gaza,” Sharif posted on Instagram along with some photographs of himself with the Turkish leader.
The change in Türkiye’s stance is so marked that former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi said Erdogan has consistently raised the issue of Kashmir in his UN speeches since 2019.
“Unlike the last 5 years, President Erdogan did not mention Kashmir in his speech to the UN General Assembly. He did so in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023,” Lodhi wrote on X.
Therefore, Turkish President Erdogan’s non-mention of Kashmir in his UN speech could be a result of his aspiration to join BRICS. And this has troubled Pakistan as it has lost a close ally who had helped it spread its blatant lies.
“We should not draw any undue conclusions from a statement,” Foreign Office spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during a weekly media briefing, Pakistan’s Dawn reported on Friday.
He said Turkey had a “consistent and principled position” on the Kashmir issue, pointing out that Istanbul had supported the OIC Contact Group joint communiqué on Kashmir. The OIC or Organization of Muslim Countries met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Wednesday.
Erdogan’s transfer is a real surprise for Pakistan as he had met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 25 on the sidelines of the UNGA session in New York and is said to have reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Pakistan.
Punjab Assembly member Mehwish Sultan posted on Twitter on September 25, “PM Shehbaz meets Turkish President Erdogan at UNGA. Discussed bilateral relations, humanitarian crisis of Gaza and Kashmir and climate change. Turkey for Kashmir Support confirmed.”
However, Pakistani daily Dawn also analyzed that the change in Erdogan’s stance is related to Türkiye’s aspirations.
“It is believed that the Kashmir omission reflects Turkey’s growing interest in strengthening ties with India, especially in the economic sphere. Additionally, it is in line with Turkey’s aspirations to join the BRICS grouping,” the report said. is commensurate, where India plays an important role.”