UNITED NATIONS: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through dialogue to promote peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia.

In his wide-ranging address to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, he underscored the need for peace in Kashmir, as he outlined Turkiye’s position on conflicts, including Cyprus, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar and Afghanistan, hoping that peace would prevail.

“Other developments that will pave the way for regional peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia will be the establishment of a just and lasting peace in Kashmir through dialogue and cooperation between India and Pakistan,” added Erdogan, who makes it a point to refer to Kashmir in his speeches at the UNGA.

On Afghanistan, he said, “The Afghan people, who have been going through difficult times for half a century, are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and support regardless of political motives.”

The president said that the transformation of the Afghan interim government into an inclusive administration, in which all segments of society were fairly represented, would pave the way for Afghanistan to be positively received in the international arena.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday berated the West over desecration of the Holy Quran, saying that attacks on Islam had reached “unbearable” levels.

Developed countries “are suffering from racism along with xenophobia and Islamophobia as if it were a plague,” Erdogan told the UN General Assembly.

“It has reached intolerable levels,” he said.

“Unfortunately, populist politicians in many countries continue to play with fire by encouraging such dangerous trends,” he said.

“The mentality that encourages the hideous attacks against the holy Koran in Europe, by allowing them under the guise of freedom of expression, is essentially darkening (Europe’s) own future through its own hands.”

Erdogan in July said he would lift a blockade on Sweden’s bid to join NATO but the Turkish parliament has not yet ratified the country’s membership, AFP reported.