India Snubs Turkey: PM Modi Cancels Ankara Visit After Erdogan's Kashmir Remarks

Indian government has decided to call off a proposed visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Turkey's capital Ankara. The visit was expected to take place at the end of October. According to sources, PM Modi was slated to visit the country following his visit to Saudi Arabia, where he is going to attend a mega-investment summit on October 27-28. Trade and defence cooperation were among the issues that were to be on the table during PM Modi's Ankara visit, which had been agreed to 'in-principle.'

The moves can be seen as a part of a number of measures taken by the Indian government show its displeasure over Turkey's support to Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. India has also sharply criticised Turkey's military operations in Syria earlier this week. India has already taken action against Turkish defence company Anadolu Shipyard that builds support ships for the Indian Navy, barring it from the huge Indian defence market.

Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, in his speech at the UNGA last month, had sided with Pakistan's narrative on Kashmir and criticised India's move to abrogate special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Responding to Turkey's statements on Kashmir at the UNGA, India had called upon the Turkey government to get a proper understanding of the situation on the ground before they make any further statements on this issue. 

"It is a matter which is completely internal to India," the MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.