Ankara Concerned Over India's Move To Revoke Special Status Of Jammu And Kashmir

Turkey is concerned over India's move to cancel the autonomous status of the Jammu and Kashmir state and fears that the decision might increase tensions in the region, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said in a press release

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2019) Turkey is concerned over India's move to cancel the autonomous status of the Jammu and Kashmir state and fears that the decision might increase tensions in the region, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said in a press release.

On Monday, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind ordered that Article 370 of the constitution, which has guaranteed the Muslim-dominated Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy since 1947, be revoked. The upper house supported the decision shortly afterward.

"We sincerely hope for the resolution of the problem through dialogue and within the framework of the relevant UN resolutions, by observing the legitimate interests of all people of Jammu-Kashmir as well as Pakistan and India. We are ready to contribute to easing the tension in the region if the parties give consent," the statement read.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed the situation over a phone call initiated by the latter on Monday, according to the Turkish presidential press service.

Erdogan called on the both Pakistan and India to strengthen their dialogue process, assuring Khan of Turkey's "steadfast support in this regard.

" In turn, the Pakistani official said that India's move would "have serious implications for regional peace and security."

Article 370 of the Indian constitution protected the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, requiring the mandatory approval of most of the laws adopted by the Indian parliament in the local assembly. The Indian government is considering splitting the Ladakh region from Jammu and Kashmir and granting it the status of a union territory, which means it would be directly controlled by the Federal government. The remainder of the state will become a second union territory. However, the Ladakh region will not have its own legislature, unlike Jammu and Kashmir.

India and Pakistan have contended for the Kashmir region, the southern part of which lies in the Jammu and Kashmir state, since the end of British rule in 1947. Despite a ceasefire being reached in 2003 following several armed conflicts, instability has continued, leading to the emergence of various extremist groups. Tensions spiked earlier this year when the Indian military conducted airstrikes in the region in response to an attack orchestrated by a terrorist group based in the Pakistani side of Kashmir.