Erdogan raises Kashmir in Pak parliament, says will give support to Pakistan Islamabad: Notwithstanding Indiau2019s objection, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, once again raked up the Kashmir issue, vowing that Ankara will support Pakistanu2019s stand as it is a matter of concern to both the countries.
Addressing a joint session of Pakistanu2019s Parliament, Erdogan, who arrived on a two- day visit, announced that Turkey will back Pakistan in its efforts to come out of the Grey List of the Financial Action Task Force ( FATF) which is meeting this week in Paris.
u201c I also want to emphasise that we will give support to Pakistan which is subject to political pressure in the Financial Action Task Force meetings,u201d he said on the upcoming meeting of the anti- terror financing watchdog.
Voicing his countryu2019s support to Pakistanu2019s stand on the Kashmir issue, he said it can be resolved not through conflict or oppression but on the basis of justice and fairness.
u201c Our Kashmiri brothers and sisters have suffered from inconveniences for decades and these sufferings have become graver due to unilateral steps taken in recent times,u201d Erdogan said, apparently referring to India revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August last year.
u201c Such a solution ( on the basis of justice and fairness) will serve the interests of all parties concerned. Turkey will continue to stand by justice, peace and dialogue in the resolution of the Kashmir issue,u201d the president said.
The Turkish President, in his address, likened the u2018 struggleu2019 of the Kashmiris with that of his country in World War I against foreign domination.
Drawing a comparison with the battle of Gallipoli which was fought in Turkey between the Allied Powers and the Ottoman Empire in which over two lakh troops were killed on both sides, Erdogan said u2018 there is no difference between Gallipoli and Kashmir.u2019 u201c Turkey will continue to raise its voice against the oppression,u201d he told Pakistani lawmakers in his address to the National Assembly and Senate. Agencies u2018 Our Kashmiri brothers and sisters have suffered from inconveniences for decades and these sufferings have become graver due to unilateral steps taken in recent timesu2019 Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. FILE PIC
