ANKARA: Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir was observed in Ankara with a significant commemorative event at Pakistan Embassy and a photo exhibition organized by the embassy in collaboration with Kecioren Muncipality to express support for the Kashmiri people’s struggle for the right to self-determination and denounce Indian government’s illegal actions in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The event highlighted Indian troops’ brutalities against Kashmiri people and the dire situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The event was attended by prominent figures including Chairperson of the Pakistan-Turkiye Parliamentary Friendship Group and Member of Parliament Ali Sahin, Member of Parliament Burhan Kayaturk, leading Kashmiri activist Abdur Rasheed Turabi, President of the Strategic Foresight Institute Dr. Guray Alpar, and representatives from media, think tanks, and civil society.
In his address, Ali Sahin emphasized the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute for maintaining peace and stability in South Asia. He criticized the international community for its selective approach to justice, noting the disparity in addressing issues like Kashmir and Palestine.
“Turkiye has always supported a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people and will continue to do so,” Sahin stated. He urged the international community to take a more active role in ending human rights violations in IIOJK and implementing UN Security Council resolutions to bring about lasting peace in the region.
Burhan Kayaturk, also a Member of Parliament, reiterated Turkiye’s steadfast support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He recalled that this right was promised both by the United Nations and Indian leadership but has yet to be fulfilled. “The Turkish nation will always stand with their Kashmiri brethren in their just cause for freedom,” he affirmed.
Prominent Kashmiri leader Abdur Rasheed Turabi provided historical context to the Kashmir issue, recalling India’s initial commitment to a UN-supervised plebiscite. “India has consistently reneged on its promises and employed various tactics to prolong its occupation of Kashmir,” Turabi remarked. He described the illegal actions of August 5, 2019, as the latest in a series of oppressive measures by India.
Dr. Guray Alpar, President of the Strategic Foresight Institute, reiterated solidarity with the Kashmiri people, stressing the need for a peaceful resolution in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri populace.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye, Dr. Yousaf Junaid, highlighted the gravity of the situation in IIOJK. “Today reminds us of India’s illegal actions on August 5, 2019,” he said. “The situation continues to deteriorate, with attempts to silence Kashmiri leadership, restrict media freedoms, and engineer demographic changes in the occupied territory.”
Ambassador Junaid also highlighted the significant number of political prisoners and the banning of 14 political organizations in IIOJK. He reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people and thanked the government and people of Turkiye for their principled stance on the issue, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s advocacy for Kashmir on international platforms.
