Turkey raises Kashmir issue at UN, urging India to end violence in occupied J&K

ANKARA – Turkey has raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling to resolve the decades-old dispute on the basis of UN resolutions and the “legitimate” expectations of Kashmiri people.

“We reiterate our call to the Government of India to ease current restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir, and resolve the issue peacefully,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the 47-member Council in Geneva.

Turkish Foreign Minister @MevlutCavusoglu in his address at the 46th session of @UN_HRC today called upon India to ease restrictions in Jammu and #Kashmir. He reiterated Turkey's stance for resolution of the dispute as per the @UN resolutions and wishes of Kashmiri people. pic.twitter.com/EQluniyELx

— Pakistan Embassy Türkiye (@PakinTurkiye) February 22, 2021

The Council on Monday began its month-long, 46th session, which is being held almost entirely remotely to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Also this week, Iran called for the need to respect the rights of the people of Kashmir in ‘determining their own destiny’ and their human rights.

The foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Javed Zarif while answering a question during an interview with state-run Press TV said, “Our policy has been very clear. We emphasise the need to respect the rights of people of all places, including Kashmiris, their human rights, their right to determine their own destiny.”

Zarif said that Iran has been in constant dialogue with “our friends in India and our friends in Pakistan about how we can play a constructive role in bringing this conflict to an end, in the interests of the people of Kashmir. And we have always insisted on the need to respect the rights of the Kashmiri people and that continues to be our policy.”

Last year Iran’s Foreign Ministry had expressed concerns over the tear-gassing and pellet firing on a Muharram procession in Kashmir.