Erdogan raises Kashmir at UNGA again, calls for 'dialogue under UN framework'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday raised the Kashmir issue during his address to the UN General Assembly, calling for disputes in South Asia to 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 during his address to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

His remarks marked another reference to Kashmir from the UNGA podium, continuing a position he has articulated at previous sessions of the General Assembly.

Kashmir returns to UN speech

Erdogan did not elaborate at length on Kashmir but included it while speaking about regional disputes and the need for dialogue. His remarks came amid his broader emphasis on diplomacy and changes to the international system.

The Turkish President has repeatedly referred to Kashmir in his UN speeches in recent years. In his address to the General Assembly last year, too, he called for a resolution of the issue.

India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and that matters concerning India and Pakistan should be addressed bilaterally, without third-party intervention. New Delhi has previously objected to references to Kashmir by foreign leaders at international forums.

The latest remarks came during a UNGA session where conflicts, geopolitical tensions and questions over the effectiveness of multilateral institutions have dominated discussions among world leaders.

Erdogan pushes UN reform

Alongside regional conflicts, Erdogan has also renewed his call for restructuring the United Nations, particularly the Security Council. He has argued that the existing system does not adequately represent contemporary global realities and has called for changes to the privileges enjoyed by its five permanent members.

Ahead of his General Assembly address, Erdogan called for comprehensive reform of the Security Council and advocated abolishing the veto power held by its permanent members.

The Turkish leader has long used the formulation “the world is bigger than five” to argue that global decision-making should not remain concentrated among the five permanent Security Council members — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.

During his visit to New York, Erdogan has also held a series of bilateral engagements with world leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly, with regional security and ongoing conflicts among the major subjects of discussion.

His latest reference to Kashmir, meanwhile, puts the India-Pakistan dispute back into his annual UN address, even as New Delhi continues to reject internationalisation of the issue.