Peace and stability in South Asia are important as the region is risingwith its growing economy and human resources, said a Turkish lawmaker onFriday.
“We believe that peace and stability of South Asia can’t be thoughtseparately from the Kashmir issue,” said Muhammet Balta, a member of theTurkish parliament and the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
Speaking at an event in the Turkish capital Ankara to mark the KashmirSolidarity Day, hosted by the Pakistani Embassy, Balta said peace andstability in South Asia are important for global actors, too.
Recalling Kashmir statement made by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoganat the UN General Assembly last year, Balta said: “Our state and nation arein solidarity with Kashmiri people who experienced big pains in the pastand also experiencing today.”
According to Islamabad, every year on Feb. 5, Pakistanis, the Kashmiridiaspora, and their well-wishers hold seminars, conferences, and rallies toshore up support for the cause.
Initiated by Qazi Hussain Ahmad, the former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, amainstream religious-political group, in the early 1990s, the day was laterdeclared a public holiday in Pakistan.
“Turkey and Pakistan are two countries that share unprecedented historicalfriendship and brotherhood ties and that share their joy as well as theirpain and grief in the most sincere and sacrificing manner as they haveproved in their history many times before,” the Turkish lawmaker said asthe event also hosted a photo exhibition which showcased alleged humanrights violations in the Indian-administered Kashmir.
“Therefore, Kashmir and our brothers living in those lands always keep aplace in our hearts and minds the same way as Pakistan,” he added.
“The resolution of this issue will serve the benefit of the entire region.
“However, it is not possible to resolve this issue keeping away thesociological, ethnic, and demographic realities of the region from oureyes,” said Balta.
Dialogue, UN resolutions way forward
Referring to India’s Aug. 5, 2019 move to scrap the minimal autonomy ofJammu and Kashmir, Balta said: “Protecting the ethnical and demographicstructure of the region is serving as a basis for resolving of thisproblem. Therefore, related UN Security Council resolutions also underlinethe need to protect the demographic structure of the region that ispeculiar to itself.”
“On the other hand, the problem has become more complicated when Indiaunilaterally lifted Article 370 of the Indian Constitution on 5 August2019,” he added.
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The lawmaker said the steps are “increasing the problems of the people ofthe region who are Muslim in the majority. We see these steps as notacceptable.”
“The current picture seems to be on the contrary against UN SecurityCouncil decisions that take dialogue as a basis for Kashmir,” he explained.“We all believe that the entire international community should follow UNresolutions in a sincere manner.”
The lawmaker also said Turkey “wishes that a just and stable solution to befound for the issue in a way to be able to reach peace and collaboration inthe entire region.”
“Our country is willing to provide the necessary support to contribute topeace and stability of South Asia with which we have very specialhistorical and cultural ties and to reduce tensions in the region bydialogue,” he said. “I’m Kashmir,” he concluded his speech, referring tothe title of a new song composed by a Turkish lyricist about the region.
‘I’m Kashmir’ song released
Alongside a documentary depicting the situation in Kashmir, the song “I’mKashmir”, written by Turkish lyricist Turgay Evren, was also played at theevent.
Earlier, messages of Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Khanwere read out on the occasion.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Syrus Sajjad Qazi in his brief speechhighlighted what he called “massive human rights violations by India toinstill fear in the local population.”
“In this day and age, no matter what lengths the Indian regime goes toblock access, no matter how many curtains of secrecy it tries to pull downon the conduct of its armed forces in the Kashmir valley, no matter howmany fake NGOs or dead persons it resurrects to peddle its fake news allover the world, the truth is eventually getting out — and the truth isdark and ugly,” he said, expressing gratitude to Turkey’s “principledposition and continuous support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, includingfrom the government, Turkish parliament and the people of Turkey.”
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