Erdogan’s ‘Kashmir Issue Must Be Addressed’ Call Puts India-Türkiye Reset To The Test

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised the Kashmir issue again at the United Nations General Assembly, calling for disputes in South Asia, including Kashmir, to be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions. The remarks come as India and Türkiye attempt to rebuild ties after a period of diplomatic strain over Ankara’s position on Pakistan and Kashmir.

“In South Asia, it is important that all disputes, including the Kashmir issue, be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter and of relevant resolutions,” Erdogan said in his UNGA address on Tuesday. Reuters reported that Erdogan also called for reforms to the UN Security Council.

For New Delhi, the reference to Kashmir is a recurring point of disagreement. India has consistently opposed third-party mediation on the issue, while Erdogan has repeatedly called for dialogue between India and Pakistan. The latest remarks therefore come at a sensitive point in bilateral relations, with both sides having resumed formal diplomatic consultations earlier this year.

That reset has practical significance. India and Türkiye have cooperation across trade, investment, tourism, technology, energy and education. Bilateral trade stood at about $6.89 billion in FY2025-26. Another public dispute over Kashmir could therefore have implications beyond the two countries’ competing positions on the issue.

Kashmir remains a fault line

Erdogan’s latest comments follow his repeated references to Kashmir at international forums, which have drawn objections from New Delhi.

In 2024, Erdogan did not mention Kashmir in his UNGA address for the first time since 2019. The Indian Express reported that the omission came as Türkiye was seeking greater engagement with the BRICS grouping.

The issue returned to his UN speech in 2025. The New Indian Express reported that Erdogan welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and called for Kashmir to be resolved on the basis of UN resolutions. India rejected the remarks and reiterated that there was no role for third-party mediation.

Relations had already been affected by Türkiye’s support for Pakistan on Kashmir, but tensions intensified during the India-Pakistan military confrontation in May 2025. The Indian Express reported that Türkiye backed Pakistan during the crisis and that the fallout contributed to a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties.

The relationship has since moved towards a limited reset. The Indian Express reported in April 2026 that India and Türkiye resumed their foreign office consultations after a four-year gap, with discussions covering trade, investment, tourism, technology, energy, education and security.

Erdogan’s latest comments therefore come as the two countries are trying to restore regular diplomatic engagement while retaining significant differences over Kashmir and Türkiye’s relationship with Pakistan.

What India could lose

For India, the immediate concern is diplomatic. New Delhi’s position is that Kashmir should not be subject to third-party mediation and that outstanding issues with Pakistan should be addressed bilaterally.

The New Indian Express reported in 2025 that India rejected Erdogan’s comments on Kashmir and reiterated that there was no role for third-party mediation in issues between India and Pakistan.

A renewed dispute could make the broader diplomatic reset more difficult, particularly because Türkiye’s relationship with Pakistan has repeatedly affected its ties with India. The Indian Express has reported that Turkish support for Pakistan has been a recurring source of tension between New Delhi and Ankara.

There are also economic interests at stake. India-Türkiye trade covers a range of products and sectors, while tourism has been particularly sensitive to political tensions.

The Indian Express reported that Indian tourist arrivals in Türkiye fell sharply after the tensions of 2025, from more than 3.3 lakh in 2024 to a little over two lakh in 2025. Between January and August 2026, about 1.2 lakh Indian visitors travelled to Türkiye, with the Turkish ambassador saying arrivals were recovering.

The decline showed that the tensions could also affect tourism and wider people-to-people links. For New Delhi, another deterioration could therefore complicate efforts to rebuild cooperation in areas that are separate from the Kashmir dispute.

What Türkiye could lose

Türkiye also has economic and diplomatic interests in maintaining engagement with India, with tourism among the clearest examples.

The Indian Express reported in August that Indian tourist arrivals had begun recovering after the sharp decline in 2025. Turkish Ambassador Ali Murat Ersoy said there was scope for greater engagement between the two countries across several sectors.

The two sides have also resumed formal diplomatic consultations. Their April 2026 meeting covered trade, investment, tourism, technology, innovation, energy, education and security, according to The Indian Express. The talks restored an institutional channel that had remained inactive for four years.

At the same time, Türkiye has longstanding ties with Pakistan. The Indian Express has noted that Ankara’s support for Islamabad, including on Kashmir, has been a recurring factor in India-Türkiye relations. Erdogan’s statements on Kashmir have repeatedly drawn objections from New Delhi.

Türkiye’s support for Pakistan has therefore remained a point of tension as it seeks to expand engagement with India. Türkiye has maintained its political ties with Pakistan while also seeking greater economic and diplomatic engagement with India. A fresh deterioration with New Delhi could complicate that engagement, particularly in areas such as tourism and trade that were affected during the 2025 tensions.

Erdogan’s latest Kashmir remarks do not by themselves indicate another breakdown in bilateral relations. But they underline an unresolved source of friction at a time when India and Türkiye have reopened formal dialogue.

For India, another dispute could put pressure on a wider relationship that includes trade, tourism and diplomatic cooperation. For Türkiye, prolonged tensions could make its efforts to expand engagement with India more difficult while its ties with Pakistan remain an important part of its regional diplomacy. The response from New Delhi and Ankara will indicate whether the latest disagreement remains confined to the diplomatic arena or affects the broader relationship.