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India on Tuesday firmly rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's reference to Jammu and Kashmir during his address at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), asserting that the issue pertains strictly to the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Responding to queries regarding Erdogan's speech in New York, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that New Delhi completely rejects any unwarranted interference by external parties in its internal affairs. "India rejects the unwarranted references to Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the Turkish President during his UNGA address. This is a matter pertaining to India's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and no external party has any locus standi on this issue," Jaiswal said. The strong response follows Erdogans UNGA address, where he brought up South Asian regional disputes while advocating for dialogue under international frameworks. "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. Provided that constructive action is taken, all issues can possibly be resolved," Erdogan had remarked. Erdogan's comments came shortly after Trkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, a trilateral pact pledging mutual defence against armed attacks. New Delhi reiterated its long-standing position that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India. Under the Shimla Agreement, both India and Pakistan are committed to resolving bilateral issues peacefully without third-party intervention. Reiterating that "talks and terror cannot go together," Indian officials highlighted that cross-border terror attacks following past peace initiativesincluding Kargil, 26/11, Pathankot, Pulwama, and Pahalgamhave placed the responsibility squarely on Islamabad to dismantle terrorist infrastructure before constructive diplomatic engagement can resume. (ANI)
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