After India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following deadly clashes along the border, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his support. However, India has not taken Turkey’s help to Pakistan lightly.
Pakistan and Turkey are close allies, and their relationship is often characterised as “brotherhood,” based on their close cultural and religious ties. In recent years, Islamabad and Ankara have deepened military cooperation based on their shared vision of assuming leadership in the Islamic world. Azerbaijan is the third member of this so-called brotherhood.
When India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ against Pakistan to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, Turkey and Azerbaijan publicly chose Pakistan’s side. In addition to offering verbal support by calling India’s actions “provocative”, Turkey reportedly assisted Pakistan in the military domain as well.
According to reports in the Indian media, Pakistan fired over 350 Turkish drones at Indian cities during the conflict. During its retaliatory strikes on India, Islamabad reportedly deployed Turkish-origin Bayraktar TB2 and YIHA drones for conducting surveillance, marking targets, and executing kamikaze-style attacks on targets along the borders. It also reportedly used the Turkish Asisguard Songar drones to attack targets inside India.
The EurAsian Times had earlier reported that amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, a Turkish C-130E Hercules landed in Karachi, allegedly to deliver military equipment. Turkey categorically denied these reports at the time. However, the latest claims suggest an arms delivery might have taken place.
Besides supplying drones, Turkey also deployed military operators, two of whom were killed in a strike launched by India, as claimed by India Today TV. If these claims are true, it would be akin to Ankara’s direct military involvement in the India-Pakistan clash.
This has not gone unnoticed in India, with several netizens on social media calling this a betrayal from Turkey, citing India’s humanitarian aid to Turkey during the 2023 earthquake under Operation Dost.
With the conflict now over, New Delhi has hit back at Turkey, communicating loud and clear that it would not be a silent spectator as Ankara lends unprecedented diplomatic and military support to Islamabad against India.
How Did India Hit Back Against Turkey?
The Indian government first took action on May 14 by blocking the X account of Turkey’s state-run TRT World alongside the Chinese Global Times for spreading fake news peddled by Pakistan and furthering Pakistani propaganda against India.
TRT World was accused of sharing anti-India sentiment and misinformation, aligning with Turkey’s public support for Pakistan. The ban was subsequently revoked, but not before a message was conveyed.
On May 15, India revoked Celebi Airport Services India’s security clearance, citing unspecified national security concerns.
Celebi Aviation Holding, a Turkish company, is a major player in ground handling, cargo, and aviation services, operating in multiple countries. It provided ground handling support to nine Indian airports, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Goa (Mopa), Kannur, and Chennai.
Celebi Aviation Holding’s shares plunged following India’s ban, demonstrating the damage caused. The company’s Indian arm has now sued the Indian government, challenging the grounds on which its security clearance was withdrawn.
“The national security reason for revocation is vague,” said its court filing.
India is looking to hurt Turkey where it would hurt the most. Over 125 top trade leaders from India announced a total boycott of all travel, business, and cultural interactions with Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The decision was taken at a National Conference of Trade Leaders convened by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in New Delhi on May 16. The CAIT called for a complete halt to imports and exports with Turkey, a freeze on business deals, and a review of bilateral trade ties.
India and Turkey signed a bilateral trade agreement in 1973 to encourage trade between the two countries. Between April 2024 and February of this year, the total value of India’s exports to Turkey was US$5.2 billion. For the same period, India’s imports from Turkey amounted to $2.84 billion—a mere 0.5% of its total imports.
Turkish apples and marbles have taken the biggest hit in the ‘Boycott Turkey’ campaign. India imports 70% of its marble (14–18 lakh tonnes, worth Rs 2,500–3,000 crore) from Turkey. Despite this reliance, Udaipur’s marble traders, led by the Udaipur Marble Processors Committee, halted trade with Turkey, pledging to boost domestic marble supply instead.
Travel and Tourism have also been hit. Some major travel websites, including Ixigo, Cox & Kings, and EaseMyTrip, halted reservations to Turkey due to “national sentiments” and discouraged non-essential travel.
Nishant Pitti of EaseMyTrip reported 22% cancellations for Turkey, whereas Subhash Goyal, the chairman of the Indian Chamber of Commerce’s tourism committee, urged the government to formally advise Indian citizens not to travel to countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Travel and Tourism are central to the Turkish economy, contributing about US$61.1 billion (12% of GDP) as of 2024. The country witnesses a large footfall of tourists from India, frolicking through Istanbul and taking popular hot air balloon rides in picturesque Cappadocia.
Turkey is so popular with Indians as a holiday destination that in 2024 alone, about 3.3 lakh (330,000) Indians visited Turkey, contributing Rs 3,000–4,000 crore (nearly $500M) to its economy.
In addition to the above, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) also urged the Indian film industry to avoid filming in these countries.
All the above-listed developments could dent Turkey’s economy, which has been slowing down over the last year. The Turkish economy experienced a technical recession in 2024 with contractions in the second and third quarters, followed by a much-needed rebound in the fourth quarter.
The forecast for 2025, however, has not been promising. The country’s GDP grew by 3.2% in 2024, but projections for 2025 estimate a slower growth rate in the range of 2.6–3.1%.
Inflation is expected to be 29% by the end of 2025, but further shocks like political unrest could lead to a hike. According to reports, the Turkish people have been feeling the heat, with their purchasing power witnessing a significant erosion.
The Turkish currency Lira, also depreciated significantly, hitting a record low of 42 to the US dollar in March 2025 following political unrest stirred by the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
At this time, the Indian boycott of Turkish export products could further dampen the situation. Analysts warned that Turkey’s already struggling economy, with a weakening Lira, could face significant losses if the boycott persisted.
Sanjay Kathuria, the Visiting Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, warns that Turkey’s $10.43–13.81 billion trade with India (0.5% of India’s imports) could see a 10–15% reduction, as reported by The Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, several Greek citizens are encouraging Indians to visit Greece instead of Turkey.
“By traveling to Greece instead, you are supporting a country that has ALWAYS backed India on the Kashmir issue at the UN; who defied Western threats to sanction India after the May 1998 nuclear tests by signing a military cooperation MoU in December 1998; consistently supports India becoming a permanent member of the UNSC; and supported India at the NSG in 2008 and in 2016, MTCR, WASSENAAR arrangements, Australia Group and India’s candidature for ICJ, ITLOS, IMO, Postal Operations Council (POC), World Heritage Committee and for the position of the External Auditor of the IAEA for the term 2022-27,” wrote Paul Antonopoulous, a Greek journalist.
Several educational institutions have also snapped ties with Turkish institutions in the wake of their all-out support for Pakistan.
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) sent a letter to vice-chancellors nationwide, advising them to halt all academic relations with Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Turkey, citing national security concerns. Several prestigious institutions in the country, like Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), had already snapped ties.
Additionally, a popular private university based in Punjab (which was in the line of fire from Pakistan), the Lovely Professional University (LPU), recently terminated all Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Azerbaijan and Turkey on national security grounds.
However, the Turkish President has reaffirmed his support for Pakistan amid boycott calls from India. “As in the past, we will continue to stand by you in good times and bad in the future,” said Erdogan, in a message to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
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