‘Unwarranted and Unacceptable’: MEA Condemns Turkey President Erdogan’s Remark on J&K

New Delhi: Condemning the remarks made by Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that it has lodged a strong protest with the Turkish Ambassador over the matter. 

MEA termed Erdogan’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir “unwarranted and unacceptable” after the Turkish president called for a dialogue on J&K "according to the UN resolution” in his recent visit to Pakistan . 

"We reject such objectionable comments on matters that are internal to India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. 

MEA Lodges Protest With Turkish Ambassador

MEA official further said that New Delhi has lodged a strong protest on the matter with the Turkish ambassador. 

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Reiterating India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir, an MEA spokesperson said, “Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, it always has been, and it will remain so. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. No other country has any locus standi to comment on it.”

Focus on Pakistan's Cross-border Terrorism, says MEA

MEA further said that instead of focusing on India, the spotlight should be put on Pakistan’s policy of cross-border terrorism.

“Instead of commenting on the internal affairs of another country, it would have been appropriate if Pakistan's policy of using cross-border terrorism against India, which remains the biggest threat for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, had been called out," Jaiswal said.

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"We reject such objectionable comments on matters that are internal to India. We have lodged a strong protest with the Turkish ambassador in Delhi. Such unwarranted statements on India's territorial integrity and sovereignty are unacceptable," he added.

Meanwhile, on the death of a 20-year-old Nepali student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha , MEA spokesperson Jaiswal expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences.

He reaffirmed the government's commitment to the safety and well-being of all international students.