According to a Prime Ministry source, Yildirim made the remarks during his meeting with Pakistani prime minister’s special envoys on Kashmir in Ankara.

Turkish premier discussed the situation in Indian-held part of the valley with Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranja and Pervaiz Malik, who are also Pakistani parliamentarians, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Yildirim said Turkey backs a solution in the disputed Kashmir valley through negotiations between Pakistan and India under the framework of the United Nations resolutions and international legitimacy.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.

The two countries have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965 and 1971 – since they were partitioned in 1947, two of which were fought over Kashmir.

Since 1989, Kashmiri resistance groups in Indian-held Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for its independence or for its unification with neighboring Pakistan.

More than 70,000 people have reportedly been killed in the conflict so far, most of them by the Indian Armed forces. India maintains more than half-a-million troops in the disputed region.