Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again referred to the Kashmir issue during his address at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, reviving a recurring point of friction with India.
Addressing world leaders on Tuesday, Erdogan said that disputes in South Asia should be resolved through dialogue and in accordance with the UN Charter. “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,” he said in his UNGA address. The remarks came in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the UN headquarters.
This is not the first time Erdogan has raised the issue at the world body. He had skipped any mention of Kashmir in his UNGA address in 2024, but the subject returned to his speech in 2025, continuing a pattern that has repeatedly drawn objections from New Delhi.
The latest remarks come close on the heels of deepening security ties between Turkey and Pakistan. Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August 2026, expanding cooperation in the security and defence sphere — a development that has added a fresh dimension to Erdogan’s comments this year.
Kashmir featured as only one part of a wider speech, in which Erdogan urged the international community to take stronger action over Gaza, called for renewed recognition of Palestinian statehood, and pushed for reforms to the UN Security Council. He also called for an end to what he described as the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots.
India has consistently pushed back against such interventions. New Delhi has long maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and that the matter should be resolved bilaterally, without third-party mediation. Officials have also previously described Pakistan’s control over parts of the region as illegal occupation.
Despite the recurring diplomatic friction over Kashmir, Ankara and New Delhi have continued to engage across trade, investment and tourism, even as ties between Turkey and Pakistan grow closer.
