India has rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir at the UN General Assembly….reports Asian Lite News Desk
India on Tuesday rejected what it called “unwarranted references” to Jammu and Kashmir by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, reiterating that no external party has any locus standi on the issue.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks during a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi while responding to questions about Erdogan’s comments.
“You would have seen that these remarks you refer to were made by the Turkish President. India rejects the unwarranted references to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the President of Turkey during his UNGA address,” Jaiswal said.
“This is a matter, as you would understand, pertaining to India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and no external party has any locus standi on this issue,” he added.
During his UNGA address on September 22, Erdogan said disputes in South Asia, including the Kashmir issue, should be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.
Erdogan has raised the Kashmir issue at the General Assembly on previous occasions as well, prompting similar responses from New Delhi.
India reiterated its position on the issue in September 2025 after Erdogan referred to Kashmir during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
“Our statement on Kashmir is clear. Everyone is aware of our position on Kashmir over the past few years,” Jaiswal had said at the time.
New Delhi has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and has opposed third-party involvement in the issue.
The latest exchange comes days after India also rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint communique issued by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s so-called Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.
The MEA described those references as “unwarranted and factually incorrect” and said the OIC had no locus standi to comment on matters it considers strictly internal to India.
“India categorically rejects the unwarranted and factually incorrect references to India in the Joint Communique of the so-called OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. The OIC has no locus standi to pronounce on matters that are strictly internal to India,” the ministry had said.
The ministry has also maintained that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India, and that politically motivated statements do not alter that position.
Erdogan’s latest remarks have therefore again highlighted the differing positions between Ankara and New Delhi over international references to the Kashmir issue.
India’s response follows its established position that questions concerning its territorial integrity and sovereignty do not provide a basis for an external party to intervene.
