Indian media rattled by Türkiye’s continued Kashmir advocacy at UN
Erdoğan’s repeated references to Kashmir expose New Delhi’s unease
New Delhi: The latest reference to Kashmir by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the United Nations has once again triggered a sharp reaction in of the Indian media, highlighting New Delhi’s continuing discomfort with Türkiye’s persistent advocacy of dialogue on the Kashmir dispute at international forums.
According to Kashmir Media Service, instead of engaging with the substance of Erdoğan’s call for resolving the Kashmir dispute through dialogue under the framework of the United Nations Charter and relevant resolutions, the Indian media has focused their coverage on Türkiye’s close relations with Pakistan and Ankara’s position during the May 2025 India-Pakistan military confrontation.
Indian media reports have repeatedly portrayed Türkiye’s Kashmir position as part of its growing strategic alignment with Pakistan. Some reports have also linked Erdoğan’s latest UN remarks with the August 2026 Mecca Joint Defence Agreement involving Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, presenting the development as an additional concern for New Delhi.
The reaction is part of a broader pattern. During the May 2025 confrontation between India and Pakistan, Erdoğan expressed solidarity with Pakistan while also calling for restraint and offering diplomatic assistance to de-escalate tensions. Reuters reported that the Turkish president commended Pakistan’s “calm and restrained” response and supported Islamabad’s call for an investigation into the April 2025 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The Turkish position subsequently became a major subject of criticism in India. Indian media reported calls for boycotting Turkish products and services, while commentators described Erdoğan’s support for Pakistan as a serious diplomatic setback for New Delhi.
The Times of India, for example, described the Turkish position as “unfriendly towards India” and reported that the reaction in India included calls for a boycott of Türkiye.
Erdoğan, however, has continued to raise Kashmir at the UN despite repeated Indian objections. For Kashmiris, the continuing international references underscore that the dispute has never simply disappeared from the UN record.
