5 hours ago
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called for de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, nearly a week after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam killed 26 people. His government also denied reports of Turkey dispatching aircraft carrying weapons to Pakistan amid escalating tensions with India.
"We want the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India to be de-escalated as soon as possible, before they evolve into a more serious situation," Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.
"Turkiye emphasises at every opportunity that we do not want new conflicts in our region and beyond," he was quoted by China's Xinhua News Agency as saying.
In the recent past, Erdogan and his government have thrown their weight behind Pakistan, particularly on the Kashmir issue. Erdogan himself has raked up the matter in international forums, with India firmly responding that the issue was a bilateral one between India and Pakistan and ruling out third-party mediation.
Meanwhile, Ankara denied reports that it sent six aircraft carrying weapons to Pakistan, saying it was not true. Officials clarified that a Turkish plane landed in Pakistan solely for refuelling before carrying on along its planned route, according to Xinhua.
"The claim reported by certain media outlets that 'Turkiye sent six aircraft full of weapons to Pakistan' is not true," the government's Directorate of Communications wrote on X.
ABOUT PAHALGAM ATTACK
On April 22, at least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed when a group of terrorists opened fire on tourists at the Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The carnage was the worst since the attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama in 2019.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) initially claimed responsibility for the attack. However, days later, the group withdrew its claim.
Subsequently, India announced a raft of sweeping diplomatic measures on Pakistan, such as the pausing of the Indus Waters Treaty, closing of the Attari-Wagah border and suspending visas issued to Pakistani nationals. Islamabad also responded with tit-for-tat moves such as the suspension of the Simla Agreement.
The Pahalgam attack drew widespread condemnation from world leaders, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to hunt down the perpetrators "to the ends of Earth".
(with inputs from Reuters)
Published By:
Prateek Chakraborty
Published On:
Apr 29, 2025
