OpEdNews Op Eds 9/22/2021 at 10:22 PM EDT H3'ed 9/22/21
Erdogan calls for solution of Kashmir issue in UN General Assembly speech
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a solution to a long-running dispute between India and Pakistan regarding Kashmir during his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
"We maintain our stance in favor of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions," the Turkish leader said.
Erdogan described the Kashmir conflict as a "burning issue" that is "key to the stability and peace in South Asia".
President Erdogan has frequently used the UN platform to raise the issue of Kashmir, and his call on Tuesday for dialogue between the disputing sides was welcomed by Kashmiri groups.
"This is the only means of achieving a genuine and lasting peace in this volatile conflict," Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, secretary general of Washington-based advocacy group World Kashmir Awareness Forum, was quoted by Al Araby as saying.
The disputed region of Kashmir has long been a source of contention between India and Pakistan, with wars breaking out over it in 1965 and 1999.
Today, Kashmir is one of the most militarized zones in the world, with 500,000 Indian security forces deployed in the region, and the Modi-led Indian government has been accused of persecuting Muslims.
Erdogan's comments regarding Kashmir have angered India, who described the issue as an "internal matter."
Last year also, President Erdogan in his pre-recorded video statement to the General Debate had made a reference to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at that time has said Erdogan's remarks reflected neither an understanding of history nor of the conduct of diplomacy and that they will have strong implications on India's ties with Turkey.
Indian PM's plane flew over Pakistan for the first time in three years
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plane, which traveled to the United States on Wednesday, was cleared to fly through Pakistani airspace for the first time in three years.
India asked Pakistan for permission to fly the plane with Modi on board over Pakistan, and Islamabad gave permission. "Pakistan allowed India to use its airspace," official sources quoted India TV as saying.
Earlier, Pakistan has three times denied Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Modi permission to use Pakistani airspace for flights to foreign countries. This began in 2019 after India changed the status of the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two different union territories - one Jammu and Kashmir, the other - Ladakh.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet on September 23 with US Vice President Kamala Harris during his visit to the United States, and on 24 will hold bilateral talks with President Joe Biden. In the program of the visit of the Indian leader on September 24, it is also planned to participate in the first-ever personal meeting of the leaders of the Quad countries, which includes India, the USA, Japan and Australia, which will be held at the White House. And on September 25, Modi is scheduled to speak at the general debate during the high-level meetings of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
Related Topic(s): Al Araby; Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai; General Assembly; India; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Kashmir; Pakistan; Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Add Tags
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Dave Zirin, sports editor for The Nation, a columnist for The Progressive, and the author of eight books on the politics of sports, including What's My Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States and A People's History of Spo