'Unacceptable and unwarranted': India lodges strong protest over Turkish President Erdogan's remarks over Kashmir issue
PTC News Desk: India has slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks over Kashmir issue during his Pakistan visit and called statements unwarranted. New Delhi has lodged strong protest with Turkish ambassador and said such unwarranted" statements on India's territorial integrity and sovereignty were "unacceptable".
"We reject such objectionable comments on matters which are internal to India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a query on Erdogan's remarks.
There should be no doubt or confusion on this, the MEA spokesperson said.
"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. No other country has any locus standi to comment on it. Instead of commenting on 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.
"We reject such objectionable comments on matters which 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.
New Delhi also reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir "is an integral part of India, it always has been, and it will remain so".
Earlier Erdogan said, "The Kashmir issue should be addressed according to the UN resolution through dialogue and keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of Kashmir."
"Our state and our nation, as in the past, stands in solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers today," the Turkish president said.
- PTC NEWS
