Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said the suffering of Kashmiris due to escalating India-Pakistan tensions “can no longer be ignored” as he called on the two countries to resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue.
Mr. Erdogan, who arrived here on Wednesday, made the remarks after he held detailed talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
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Addressing a joint press conference, the Turkish President told the media that during his one-on-one meeting with Mr. Sharif that they talked about the situation in Kashmir.
“Our brothers and sisters in Kashmir are suffering because of escalating tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and Kashmir, which can no longer be ignored,” Mr. Erdogan said. He stressed on the importance of dialogue to address the thorny issue.
“The Kashmir issue needs to find a resolution for itself following a dialogue between Pakistan and India,” Mr. Erdogan said.
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Thanks Pakistan
The Turkish President thanked Pakistan for siding with Ankara’s elected government during a failed coup bid earlier this year. “Soon after the failed coup attempt in Turkey, I received a phone call from President Mamnoon Hussain and we discussed a possible response to the development,” he said.
Mr. Erdogan also lambasted what his government has termed the Fethullah Terror Organisation (Feto) for allegedly supporting the coup and said it was a threat to other countries.
“We are in the process of warning all of our friends and countries [against Feto] across the globe with whom we have solidarity,” he said.
Mr. Erdogan also welcomed Pakistan’s decision to expel dozens of teachers and staff of Turkish schools in Pakistan which were controlled by Fetullah.