'Unlike The Last 5 Years': Erdogan's Kashmir Omission In UN Speech Signals Turkey's Policy Shift, Rattles Pakistan

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 79th UNGA in New York, September 24, 2024. Policemen walk near the national flags of Pakistan and Turkey displayed along a road ahead of a visit of Erdogan in Islamabad, November 16, 2016. (Reuters)

Erdogan's UN speech marks a pivotal moment, omitting Kashmir, unsettling Pakistan while reflecting Turkey's desire to strengthen ties with India and join BRICS

The Pakistan Foreign Office has claimed that Turkey’s stance on the Kashmir dispute remains unchanged, despite President Recep Tayyip Erdogan skipping its mention during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly for the first time in years.

Erdogan’s decision to skip the mention of Kashmir during his UNGA address was seen as a diplomatic win for India and a source of concern for Pakistan. “We should not draw any undue inferences from one statement,” the Dawn newspaper quoted Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch as saying during a media briefing on Thursday.

‘Unlike the last five years’

Former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi noted Erdogan’s historical advocacy for Kashmir at the UN but acknowledged this year’s omission as a notable departure from previous years. She stressed that Erdogan had consistently raised the issue from 2019 through 2023. “Unlike the last five years, President Erdogan did not mention Kashmir in his speech to the UN General Assembly. He did so in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023,” Pakistan’s former ambassador to the UN in New York, Maleeha Lodhi, said in a post on X.

What’s The Pak Angle

Pakistan continues to engage in hostile, fabricated anti-India propaganda and disinformation operations, particularly regarding Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian government has completely and unequivocally rejected all such actions and statements by Pakistan, especially on matters that are entirely internal to India. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi has engaged with the international community at high levels regarding India’s position and Pakistan’s role in aiding and abetting terrorism in the region, particularly in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir.

What’s Behind Turkey’s Omission

This omission is seen as a shift in Turkey’s stance on the Kashmir issue, especially given that just a few months ago, the Islamic country had aligned itself with Pakistan to address the matter at a multilateral forum. Erdogan’s decision to skip Kashmir comes at a time when Turkey is seeking to strengthen its global alliances, particularly its bid to join the BRICS grouping.

The Turkish government is eager to forge ties beyond its traditional Western allies, and this shift in rhetoric may reflect that ambition. Erdogan has consistently raked up the Kashmir issue in his UN speeches since 2019. However, his recent silence has raised eyebrows. Earlier in February, Turkey joined Pakistan in condemning India’s actions in Kashmir at the 55th Human Rights Council session. Following that meeting, India issued a strong rebuttal, asserting that Kashmir is an internal matter and urging Turkey to refrain from unsolicited comments.

BRICS Bid

Erdogan’s omission of Kashmir may signal Turkey’s growing interest in improving relations with India, particularly in economic terms. The geopolitical landscape surrounding Turkey’s BRICS application is complex. The BRICS bloc recently expanded to include new members such as Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE. Turkey’s inclusion would be significant as it seeks to position itself as a counterweight to Western alliances while maintaining its NATO commitments.

During a recent meeting between Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UNGA, there was no mention of Kashmir. Instead, they focused on regional issues like Gaza. Sharif later posted on social media about their discussions but did not highlight Kashmir as a topic of concern.