US Kashmiri diaspora group seeks Turkish president's mediation for J&K settlement

May 2017: Turkish President Erdoğan with Prime Minister Modi in Delhi

By Our Representative

Even as India rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments that the Kashmir dispute is a “burning issue” for the stability of South Asia, saying they were tantamount to “gross interference” in the country’s internal affairs, a Washington, DC-based Kashmiri diaspora group has said that the Turkish leader’s statement for “multilateral dialogue” is “consistent” with the stance taken by “the President of the United Nations General Assembly.”
India’s permanent representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, called Erdoğan’s remarks “totally unacceptable”, underlining, “We have seen remarks by President of Turkey on Indian [union territory] of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). They constitute gross interference in India’s internal affairs and are completely unacceptable. Turkey should learn to respect sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own policies more deeply.”
In a video message for a special session marking the 75th anniversary of the UN, Erdoğan had said: “The Kashmir conflict, which is also key to the stability and peace of South Asia, is still a burning issue. Steps taken following the abolition of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir further complicated the problem.” He added, “We are in favour of solving this issue through dialogue within the framework of the UN resolutions and especially in line with the expectations of the people of Kashmir.”
Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, secretary general of the Washington DC-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum, thanking Erdoğan’s statement on behalf of the “people of J&K”, said, it is a “source of inspiration and given hope to millions of hopeless people of the region”, adding, it was “the true reflection of the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.”

Callng Erdoğan’s “reference to Kashmir is a statement of facts”, Dr Fai said, it is “consistent with his statement, which he made in May 2017 during an interview with WION television channel, in which he had said, “We should not allow more casualties to occur, and by strengthening multilateral dialogue, we can be involved, and through multilateral dialogue, I think we have to seek out ways to settle this question (Kashmir) once and for all.”

Turkey being friendly to both India and Pakistan can seek multilateral dialogue, as bilateral talks have to achieve a settlement

Dr Fai said, “bilateralism” has failed in resolving the Kashmir conflict despite some world powers seeking “bilateral talks between India and Pakistan to achieve a settlement”, adding, “The experience of more than 70 years is ignored. No bilateral talks between India and Pakistan have yielded agreements without the active role of an external element.” 

According to Dr Fai, “The missing element is sustained and coordinated diplomatic persuasion by peace-loving democratic powers. The vision of President Erdogan needs to be pursued by the United Nations - the engagement of a multilateral effort -- one or two permanent members of the Security Council along with India, Pakistan, Kashmiri leadership and Turkey.”
Wanting Turkey to “play an effective role in bringing parties together, being friendly to both India and Pakistan”, Dr Fai said, “The proposal may seem rather unconventional but we believe that it would be a striking demonstration of the global statesmanship, which the United Nations can summon in the cause of peace, international security and human betterment.”