Kurdish problem in Turkey can’t be compared with the Kashmir issue, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who arrived here on Sunday evening ahead of talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Kurds are an ethnic group of perhaps 35 million spread across Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, where a majority of them live. Turkey fears Kurdish people want a separate state. Erdogan last year resumed a war against the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party in the southern part of his country and his fighters bombed Kurdish militants in Syria, inviting US wrath.
"We have no problem with the Kurdish people. We have a problem with a terrorist organisation," he said.
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"It (the Kurdish problem) is a territorial dispute. In Jammu and Kashmir, the situation is different. Let's not make the mistake of comparing them," he said.
Erdogan suggested a multilateral dialogue to resolve Kashmir issue to ensure peace in the region.
"We should not allow more casualties to occur (in Kashmir). By having a multilateral dialogue, (in which) we can be involved, we can seek ways to settle the issue once and for all," he told WION news channel in an interview.
The Turkish leader said that it is in the interest of India and Pakistan that they should resolve this issue and not leave it for the future generations who will have to suffer.
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"All around the world, there is no better option than keeping the channel of dialogue open. If we contribute towards global peace, we can get a very positive result," he said.
Erdogen said India and Pakistan were both friends of Turkey and he wanted to help strengthen the dialogue process among the stakeholders for resolving the Kashmir issue which has been festering for the last 70 years.
Erdogen favoured India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) besides that of Pakistan, saying India should not have objection to it.
