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At the 80th session of UNGA, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raked up the Kashmir issue, saying that Turkey was 'pleased' with the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May.
He said, "We are pleased with the ceasefire achieved following the tensions last April between Pakistan and India, which had escalated into a conflict... The issue of Kashmir should be resolved on the basis of the resolutions of the UN, for the best of our sisters and brothers in Kashmir, through dialogue, we hope." Erdogan had supported Pakistan on Kashmir earlier as well and called for UN dialogue to address the issue during his visit to Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported. This had drawn criticism from the Ministry of External Affairs which had in May said that it has lodged a strong protest with the Turkish ambassador. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We reject such objectionable comments on matters that are internal to India. We have lodged a strong protest with the Turkish ambassador. Such unwarranted statements on India's territorial integrity and sovereignty are unacceptable." Jaiswal asserted that J-K is an integral part of India and mentioned that Pakistan's cross border terrorism policy against India remains the biggest threat to the people of UT. "Jammu and Kashmir are integral parts of India. It would have been better if Pakistan's policy of using cross-border terrorism against India, which remains the biggest threat to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, has been called out," Jaiswal said. Turkey had also supported Pakistan during India's Anti Terror operation Sindoor. Pakistani forces had used Turkish made drones to target Indian installations after Op Sindoor had decimated terror operations in Pakistan. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed their commitment to deepening India-US ties and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region through the Quad during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly High-level Week in New York. The discussions that took place on Monday (local time) underscored the strategic importance of the bilateral relationship and the shared vision for regional stability. Rubio also conveyed his gratitude to India for its ongoing involvement in a variety of matters, such as trade, energy and critical minerals. (ANI)
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