Turkiye and Azerbaijan have once again expressed support for Kashmiris' right to self-determination in line with the UN Security Council resolutions.

Addressing Kashmir Solidarity Day event hosted jointly by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN and the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York, Permanent Representative of Turkiye to the UN Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz said his country opposed unilateral steps taken by India in Jammu and Kashmir including demographic and other administrative and legal changes there. He said that the annulment of Article 370 complicated the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and emphasized that the relevant UNSC resolutions provided the framework for just resolution of the Kashmir dispute.  

Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN Ambassador Tofig Musayev highlighted the need for the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the international norms, UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. He said that continuous efforts needed to be made for the establishment of sustainable peace in South Asia, adding that the OIC was actively engaged in matters of peace and security.

Permanent Observer of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador Hameed Ajibaiye Opeloyeru reiterated the OIC’s strong support for the Kashmir cause. He demanded that all illegal measures initiated on August 5, 2019, which sought to change the demographic structure of Jammu and Kashmir, should be revoked.

Deputy Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Abdulaziz Alateek emphasized the need for constructive dialogue and engagement for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He said that upholding and respecting the aspirations of Kashmiris was important in this regard.

In his welcome remarks, Pakistan's Permanent Representative Ambassador Munir Akram thanked the members of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir for their unwavering support to Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. He said that Kashmiris’ story of defiance of the Indian occupation is about fundamental rights and justice.