India rejects Kashmir references in Turkish President’s UNGA address as ‘unwarranted’

India on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, dismissed as “unwarranted” the references to Jammu and Kashmir made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), reiterating that no external party has any locus standi on the matter.

New Delhi’s response

During the Ministry of External Affairs’ biweekly media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked to comment on President Erdogan’s remarks at the UNGA. Responding to the query, Mr. Jaiswal said, “India rejects unwarranted references to India and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the President of Turkiye during his UNGA address.”

Emphasising India’s firmly held position, he added, “This is a matter, as you would understand, about India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and no external party has any locus standi on this issue.”

What Erdogan said

In his address to the General Assembly, President Erdogan said that in South Asia, all disputes — including the Kashmir issue — should be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the United Nations Charter. His remarks prompted New Delhi’s prompt rejection and reaffirmation of its stance on the matter.

India’s consistent position

New Delhi has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Officials have repeatedly underscored that the issue concerns India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. As the MEA has stated in the past, Jammu and Kashmir “is, was and will remain” an integral part of the country.

Significance

The latest response underscores India’s policy of rejecting external commentary on Jammu and Kashmir and reaffirms its position that the matter is not open to international mediation or external prescriptions. The MEA’s remarks align with India’s longstanding approach of asserting sovereignty over issues it considers internal.