Turkish, Pakistani leaders discuss India’s Kashmir move

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Pakistani counterpart discussed India’s scrapping of Kashmir’s special status on Aug. 5.

Prime Minister Imran Khan phoned Erdoğan to inform him about India’s latest move, said the Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate.

Erdoğan called on Pakistan and India to strengthen the dialogue process, the statement added.

“India’s illegal action of modifying the special status of Indian occupied Kashmir will have serious implications for regional peace and security,” Khan said, according to a statement by his office.

Khan “reiterated that Pakistan would continue its diplomatic, moral and political support to the just cause of the Kashmiri struggle for their right to self-determination as enshrined in United Nations Security Council resolutions,” the statement added.

Erdoğan also shared his concerns over the situation and assured Khan of Turkey’s “steadfast support in this regard”.

India on Monday scrapped the special status granted to the country’s only Muslim-majority state which allowed it autonomy in exchange for joining the Indian union after independence in 1947.

The provision allowed Jammu and Kashmir to enact its own laws and disallowed outsiders from settling in and owning land in the territory.

The Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.

Since they were partitioned, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989, according to several human rights organizations.

Turkey expresses concern over India's Kashmir move

Turkey expressed concern on Aug. 5 that India's unilateral decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution which grants a special status to the disputed Kashmir region is likely to increase tensions.

“We are concerned that the annulment of Article 370 of the Constitution of India on 5 August 2019 which accords a special status to Jammu-Kashmir could further increase existing tensions,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Turkey is ready to contribute to efforts to reduce tensions in the region if the parties agree, the statement stressed.

“We sincerely hope for the resolution of the problem through dialogue and within the framework of the relevant UN resolutions by observing the legitimate interests of all people of Jammu-Kashmir as well as Pakistan and India,” it added.

Since 1947, Jammu and Kashmir have enjoyed special provisions to enact their own laws. The provisions also protected their citizenship law, which disallowed outsiders to settle in and own land in the territory.

The Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought wars in 1948, 1965 and 1971, two of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.