New Delhi: India has reacted sharply to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s renewed support for Kashmiris, following his call for resolving the Kashmir dispute through UN-backed dialogue.

According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, Erdogan, during his recent visit to Islamabad, reaffirmed Turkiye’s solidarity with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue and called for UN dialogue to resolve the long-standing conflict.

In response to Erdogan’s comments, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the Turkish ambassador and lodged a formal protest. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a weekly briefing, dismissed Erdogan’s statement, stating, “We reject such objectionable remarks on matters internal to India. We have conveyed a strong protest to the Turkish ambassador. Any unwarranted comment on India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty is unacceptable.”

Jaiswal also reiterated India’s claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral part” of the country, while attempting to deflect attention to Pakistan by labeling “cross-border terrorism” as the “biggest threat” to the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). However, the reality remains that Kashmir is a disputed region, acknowledged as such by the United Nations and the international community. It is India, not Pakistan, that has consistently resorted to state-sponsored repression to crush the Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle for their right to self-determination.