India rejects Erdogan’s Kashmir remarks at UNGA, says no external role

NEW DELHI — India on Tuesday rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserting that no external party has any locus standi on matters concerning the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Responding to questions about Erdogan’s remarks, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India rejected what it described as the “unwarranted references” to India and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the Turkish president during his UNGA address.

“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,” Jaiswal said.

Erdogan, while addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, said disputes in South Asia, including the Kashmir issue, should be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.

“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.

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The reference marked the latest in a series of occasions on which Erdogan has raised Kashmir at the UN General Assembly. According to reports, he first raised the issue in 2019 and subsequently referred to it in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, skipped it in 2024 and raised it again in 2025.

India has consistently rejected such references and maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country.

New Delhi has also maintained that differences between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally, citing the 1972 Simla Agreement. The government has further linked meaningful engagement with Pakistan to an end to cross-border terrorism.

The latest exchange comes against the backdrop of the 81st UN General Assembly, whose high-level general debate was held in New York from September 22 to September 26 and on September 28.