Turkey's Erdogan, Pakistan's Khan discuss Kashmir tension

By Yildiz Nevin Gundogmus

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's president discussed recent tensions between Pakistan and India over the phone with the Pakistani premier on Thursday, Turkish presidential sources said.

According to a statement from the Pakistani prime ministry, Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed appreciation for Imran Khan's move to release a captured Indian fighter pilot that had entered Pakistani airspace on Wednesday.

The statement added that Khan had thanked Erdogan for his "constant support for Pakistan and the Kashmiri people."

Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have escalated following a suicide bombing claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JEM) in Jammu and Kashmir that killed more than 40 Indian troops earlier this month.

On Tuesday, Indian jets entered Pakistan claiming to have killed several terrorists in a JEM training camp.

Pakistan, which has banned JEM since 2002 but is accused by India of providing the group a sanctuary, denied the claim saying the Indian jets had dropped bombs at empty forestland.

The two South Asian nations have fought three wars in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir -- since they were partitioned in 1947.