Turkish envoy calls on AJK president: International community urged to take notice of Indian atrocities

While commending Turkish support for Kashmir cause at the international fora, President Azad Jammu & Kashmir Masood Khan Thursday urged global community to take notice of Indian atrocities in India-held Kashmir. Talking to the newly appointed Ambassador of Turkey Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul to Pakistan who called on him here at Kashmir House, Khan said that the United Nations (UN) and other global human rights bodies should play their due role to stop Indian state terrorism in India-held Kashmir.
Extending his best wishes to Ambassador Yurdakul on assuming his new appointment, the President hoped that Ambassador Yurdakul's tenure will prove to be productive in furthering the friendly relations among Turkey, Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, said a press release issued here. Khan paid tribute to Turkey saying that it inherits a rich history of Muslim civilization. At present, he said, Turkey's initiatives are connecting the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa by building new diplomatic junctions and concourses.
Ambassador Yurdakul expressed his pleasures over assuming his new assignment and said that he will use his position in promoting the already close and cordial diplomatic relations between Turkey and Pakistan, as well as Azad Kashmir, particularly in the spheres of economic and cultural ties. He said that Turkey is emerging as a symbol of Islamic community's glory and unity, as well as a great force of peace and sagacity at the international level. He thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during his historic address to the joint session of the Pakistani Parliament in Islamabad and for taking up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India.
Ambassador Yurdakul said that Turkey strongly believes that initiatives should be taken to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue through dialogue and diplomacy. President Erdogan, he said, believes that international community must help the people of the Indian-occupied Kashmir get rid of their unending plight and their human rights must be respected under all circumstances. The President said the people of Jammu and Kashmir believe in a peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council's resolutions and with the support of its friends like Turkey which can talk to India and persuade it to come to the negotiating table.
He also conveyed his gratitude to the Turkish ambassador for Turkey's steadfast support to the Jammu and Kashmir cause in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir and at the United Nations. Khan said that Turkey and Azad Kashmir enjoy a new affinity. "After the 2005 earthquake, our Turkish brothers helped reconstruct the dilapidated cities of Azad Kashmir. Because of the Turkish-led reconstruction, Muzaffarabad now has a distinct Turkish imprint and style of architecture," he added.
He expressed his satisfaction over the growing educational ties between Azad Kashmir and Turkey. Students and faculty are enrolling themselves in the Turkish universities and Turkish language courses are being promoted in the University of AJK. He also invited the Turkish envoy to visit Muzaffarabad to inaugurate Turkish language courses in the University of AJK.