Ankara, 27 October 2025: The Embassy of Pakistan in Ankara organized an event to mark Kashmir Black Day, commemorating 78 years since India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was attended by several distinguished figures, including former Minister of Agriculture Mr. Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Chairperson Saadet Party and Member of Parliament Mr. Mahmut Arıkan, former Minister of Family and Social Services and Director General SESRIC Ms. Zehra Selçuk, and President of the Geostrategic Foresight Institute General (R) Güray Alpar, as well as members of the diplomatic community, think tanks, media, and civil society representatives.
Mr. Mehmet Mehdi Eker stated that the struggle of the Kashmiri people is a fight for justice and truth that no force can suppress. He expressed hope that the people of Kashmir would soon realize their right to self-determination.
Saadet Party MP Mr. Mahmut Arıkan highlighted that the Kashmir issue is not merely political, but a matter of justice, humanity, and dignity. He stressed the need for greater Muslim unity, drawing parallels between the struggles of Kashmir and Gaza, and called upon the UN and OIC to take concrete steps to end human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In her address, Ms. Zehra Selçuk reaffirmed the OIC’s unwavering solidarity with the people of Kashmir, emphasizing that the organization has consistently condemned human rights abuses in IIOJK and demanded the implementation of UN resolutions guaranteeing self-determination.
General (R) Güray Alpar underlined that peace in South Asia is impossible without a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute, which continues to threaten regional and global stability.
Ambassador Dr. Yousaf Junaid described Kashmir Black Day as one of the darkest chapters in South Asian history — the day India forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir in defiance of international law and the will of the Kashmiri people. He thanked Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for their principled stance and for consistently raising the Kashmir issue at international platforms, including the UN General Assembly.
He emphasized that for lasting peace in South Asia, the Kashmir dispute must be resolved according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people and UN Security Council resolutions.
