Turkey warns of ‘all-out war’ risk in India-Pakistan clash

People look at a fuel tank of an aircraft in Wuyan near Indian-administered Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar on May 7, 2025. India fired missiles at Pakistani territory early on May 7, killing at least eight people, according to Pakistan, which said it had begun retaliating in a major escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals. Agence France-Presse

ISTANBUL — Turkey on Wednesday warned of a risk of “all-out war” between India and Pakistan, after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed neighbors in two decades.

“The attack carried out last night by India runs the risk of an all-out war,” said a foreign ministry statement after India’s deadly missile strikes. “We condemn this provocative initiative as well as the attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

Ankara called on both sides to “show good sense” and take the necessary measures to reduce tension “including in the fight against terrorism”.

READ: India-Pakistan clashes: what we know

It also backed Pakistan’s request for an inquiry into the April 22 attack on tourists by gunmen in Indian Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed, mainly Hindu men.

India has blamed the attack on the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist organization.

Turkey and Pakistan, both majority-Muslim countries, have long had close economic and military links.

READ: After India-Pakistan clashes, airlines cancel or reroute flights

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Islamabad in February where the two countries signed a range of new agreements, notably concerning defense. /dl