PRESS RELEASE
YOUM-E-ISTEHSAL-E-KASHMIR OBSERVED IN ANKARA
To mark the sixth anniversary of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir was observed in Ankara.
The Embassy of Pakistan organized a commemorative event, and a photo exhibition, in collaboration with the Kecioren Municipality, highlighting the grave human rights violations and the enduring resilience of the Kashmiri people in IIOJK.
The event was attended by prominent Turkish figures, including the Chairperson of the Human Rights Investigation Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly MP Derya Yanık, Member of Parliament Mustafa Kaya, former Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ, President of the Geostrategic Foresight Institute , General (R) Güray Alpar, Chairman of the Kashmir Diaspora Coalition and President of Kashmir House Aid & Development Association Dr. Mubeen Shah, as well as representatives from media, think tanks, and civil society.
Chairperson of the Human Rights Investigation Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly MP Derya Yanık, reaffirmed Türkiye’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s legitimate right to self-determination. She underscored that Türkiye has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Expressing concern over the ongoing human rights violations in IIOJK, she reiterated Türkiye’s principled stance in support of justice for the Kashmiri people.
In his remarks, MP Mustafa Kaya stressed that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute is essential for global peace and for restoring trust in the United Nations system. He emphasized that this can only be achieved through the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions that call for a free and impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ noted that the right to self-determination was guaranteed to the Kashmiri people by both the United Nations and Indian leadership. More than seven decades later, that promise remains unfulfilled. He assured that the Turkish nation will continue to stand with the Kashmiri people in their just struggle.
Reflecting on his personal experience of incarceration and forced exile, Dr. Mobeen Shah described the Kashmir issue as an internationally recognized dispute that cannot be resolved through the use of force or demographic engineering. He urged the international community to uphold the principles of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Geneva Conventions by ensuring a UN-supervised plebiscite in Kashmir.
General (R) Güray Alpar expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people and stressed the importance of resolving the dispute through dialogue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Dr. Yousaf Junaid paid tribute to the courage and determination of the Kashmiri people. He described India’s actions on 5 August 2019—particularly the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A of its Constitution—as an attempt to unilaterally alter the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of international law and UN resolutions. While these constitutional provisions were never a substitute for the promised plebiscite, their revocation aimed to facilitate India’s settler-colonial agenda in the region, he noted.
Ambassador Junaid emphasized that a durable peace in South Asia and the region is contingent upon resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in alignment with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, particularly in wake of the recent standoff between Pakistan and India in May. The ambassador expressed gratitude to the people and government of Turkiye for their principled stance on Kashmir, especially to His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogon for highlighting the Kashmir issue on international forums.
Ankara: 5th August 2025
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