Turkey on Tuesday raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying the matter “should be addressed through dialogue.”In his UNGA address, Erdogan said: “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.“Turkey has raised the Kashmir issue on global platforms in the past as well.Notably, Erdogan-led Turkey has formed a Nato-like military alliance with two other Islamic nations, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.The pact, known as the “Mecca Pact”, was signed between the three countries in August this year.India, however, has consistently rejected any third-party mediation in the Kashmir issue and repeatedly maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.Following the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Pahalgam, India made it clear that New Delhi would only engage with Islamabad on Kashmir-related issues bilaterally. Pakistan continues to illegally occupy parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
