India slams Turkey for its 'unilateral military offensive' in northeast Syria

NEW DELHI: India has responded to Turkey’s support to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue by talking tough on Ankara’s operations in Syria. “We are deeply concerned at the unilateral military offensive by Turkey in northeast Syria,” an MEA statement said in New Delhi on Thursday.

“Turkey’s actions can undermine stability in the region and the fight against terrorism. Its action also has the potential to cause humanitarian and civilian distress,” the MEA said.

“We call upon Turkey to exercise restraint and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. We urge the peaceful settlement of all issues through dialogue and discussion.”


Syria has been a staunch supporter of India on the Kashmir issue for decades, both within and outside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

MEA had last Friday criticised the Turkish position on Kashmir. “India and Turkey are friendly countries.

We, therefore deeply regret that since August 6 there have been repeated statements by the Turkish government on a matter completely internal to India. These statements are factually incorrect, biased and unwarranted.

We call upon the Turkish government to get a proper understanding of the situation before making any further comments,” the MEA statement had said.