Ankara: A special ceremony was held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Ankara on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day to express solidarity with the oppressed people of Kashmir and to highlight the Kashmir issue at the international level. The event began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthems of Pakistan and Trkiye. A special documentary presentation was also screened, depicting the historical struggle, sacrifices, and current situation of Kashmir.

Addressing the ceremony, Chairman of the Trkiye-Pakistan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and AK Party Member of Parliament, Ali Sahin, reaffirmed Trkiye’s unwavering support for Pakistan and the Kashmiri people. ‘Whether it is the fight against terrorism or the struggle for Kashmir, Pakistan will never walk alone. As Turkish brothers, we will always stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pakistani brothers. Although Kashmir may be geographically distant from Anatolia, spiritually and morally it is at zero distance to us,’ Ali Sahi
n stated.

Strongly criticizing India’s policies in the region, he said: ‘India presents itself as the world’s largest democracy, yet in Kashmir, human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the rule of law have been completely dismantled, turning the region into an open-air prison. Such a model cannot be accepted as a true democracy by the world.’

Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s historic statement, Ali Sahin concluded: ‘As defined by our President, ‘Kashmir is Turkey’s Çanakkale.’ Just as the Muslims of the Subcontinent and the people of Pakistan stood with Trkiye during the Çanakkale (Gallipoli) struggle, today we accept Kashmir as our own Çanakkale and stand firmly with our Kashmiri and Pakistani brothers in this just struggle.’