2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Sep 23, 2026 12:23 PM ISTTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Reuters file photo)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again raked up the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan during his address to world leaders at the high-level 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Tuesday. In September last year, he called for a resolution on Kashmir at the same forum.This comes just weeks after Turkey entered into the Mecca pact along with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The remarks came in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and marked another instance of Erdogan using the platform to raise the Kashmir issue despite India’s repeated objections to third-party involvement.“In South Asia, it is important that all disputes, including the Kashmir issue, be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter and of relevant resolutions,” Erdogan said in his address.He spoke extensively about the issue in 2019 after India abrogated Article 370, and also raised Kashmir at the UNGA in 2021. In 2020, Erdogan referred to Jammu and Kashmir in his pre-recorded video statement to the General Debate. In 2024, however, Erdogan did not mention Jammu and Kashmir in his UNGA speech.New Delhi had at that time termed it as “completely unacceptable”, saying Turkey should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own policies more deeply.India-Turkey ties had also come under strain following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Erdogan had expressed solidarity with Pakistan and called for de-escalation.New Delhi’s position has consistently been that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and that issues with Pakistan should be addressed bilaterally. India also cited the 1972 Shimla Agreement, under which the two countries committed to resolving differences through peaceful means and bilateral negotiations.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdDivya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Sep 23: Latest News01Clothes they wore, a photograph & CCTV footage: How police traced the accused in Delhi gangrape case02No passport needed: 3 places in India for a submarine experience03India at Asian Games 2026 Day 5, September 23: Full schedule, venue, fixtures & time04Lakshya Sen drops the burden of ‘sensational’ against Japan in 3-0 win05Private complaint cannot be ED’s foundation for National Herald case, say Sonia, RahulAdvertisementAdvertisement