Erdogan calls for dialogue for solution on Kashmir

WASHINGTON

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called for dialogue for the solution of row between Pakistan and India on Kashmir.

In his address at UN General Assembly session in New York, Erdogan criticized international community for failing to pay attention to Kashmir conflict, which awaits solution for 72 years.

The president said the stability and prosperity of South Asia cannot be separated from the Kashmir issue.

"In order for the Kashmiri people to look at a safe future together with their Pakistani and Indian neighbors, it is imperative to solve the problem through dialogue and on the basis of justice and equity, but not through collision," said Erdogan.

The India-administered region has been facing a clampdown since Aug. 5, when the Indian government nixed Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which conferred a special status on it.

Hundreds of people, mostly political leaders, have been detained or arrested by authorities since the Indian government made the move.

India and Pakistan hold Kashmir in parts and claim it in full. China also controls part of the contested region, but it is India and Pakistan who have fought two wars over Kashmir.