Trouble in Paradise? Tensions rise between Pakistan and Turkey over Ankara’s softened stand on Kashmir

New Delhi, Oct 27: With Ankara softening its stand on Kashmir, all is indeed not well between Pakistan and Turkey despite a show of solidarity and goodwill between the two countries.

 

Sergio Restelli - a political advisor, author and geopolitical expert, writing in Insideover, an Italian news website focusing on world affairs said that in Pakistan's corridors of power there seems to be dissent and displeasure over Turkey's lack of enthusiasm on Kashmir and uneasiness over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's declining fervor.

 

 

Erdogan referred to the Kashmir issue in his last three speeches at the UN General Assembly on three separate consecutive occasions indicating that perhaps the issue is important to him. His stance seem on Kashmir to be softening and he went as far as to club Kashmir with the Uyghurs and the Rohingyas as one of the myriad problems that affect the Islamic world, said Restelli.

 

Meanwhile, Kashmir is an existentialist problem for Pakistan but India has always kept the same stand that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. On the other hand, they are watching closely to determine if Turkey's fervour has indeed diminished.

 

 

This came after small signs of trouble in their paradise has started to rise. For e.g. Erdogan had failed to mention Kashmir at a state Function hosting the Pakistani president or the absence of a condolence message on the death of Pakistani separatist, and Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

 

Pakistan, being powerless as usual, is cautious and reluctant to overreact to Turkey's recent toning down on Kashmir. Turkey, on the other hand, is trying to improving its relations with almost every country it had earlier antagonised, including Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

 

 

The attempt to boost relations has Turkey is in the middle of failing economy and dwindling political support. In order to get rid of it, Erdogan needs all the international help and investment he can muster. Also, Turkey acknowledges that India is an important country and a major economic player in the world. The worries for Turkey did not end here as recently the nation was added to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list for failing to check terror financing.

 

Turkey's newfound moderation on Kashmir should be perhaps strictly taken in the larger context of its attempts to repair ties with other countries as well as to bring itself out of FATF grey lists amid its fragile economy that recorded heavy losses against the US dollar as it will curtail its power to raise international investment. While some have advised caution, others have expressed disappointment over a core concern of Islamabad being handled so callously by a country they considered a "true friend".