INDIA’S reputation as a regional powerhouse deteriorated.
In order to improve combat accuracy, the Indian Government obviously exaggerated its Rafale jets and underestimated Pakistan’s Chinese-backed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
As tensions between India and Pakistan reached a critical point following Operation Sindoor, Turkiye and China were two of the few countries that publicly supported Pakistan during its recent conflict with India.
They provided sophisticated military drones that were used to launch attacks on Indian cities and military installations.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) called for a complete boycott of Turkish products, services and travel.
Even several online travel agencies have released warnings telling Indians not to go to Turkiye.
A number of Indian universities have also halted their academic relations with Turkish colleges, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Maulana Azad National Urdu University.
Indian authorities have been urged by Air India to stop IndiGo from forming a new tab leasing partnership with Turkish Airlines.
Since Turkiye supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, [the Indian arm of Turkish aviation giant Çelebi Aviation] on May 15.
Çelebi Aviation was the first privately-owned ground handling company in Turkiye, founded in 1958 and now has 70 stations worldwide.
Delhi International Airport Ltd.
(DIAL) has cancelled its agreement with Celebi in accordance with the BCAS instruction.
Following Turkey’s aid to Pakistan (weapons, drones and technical assistance) Ankara permitted the Pakistani military to use their satellites for military operations against India.
In addition to working together on the KAAN fifth-generation fighter plane, Turkey has provided Pakistan with Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones.
During a visit to Pakistan in February 2025, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported Islamabad’s stance on Kashmir, stating that the matter should be resolved in accordance with the UN resolution through dialogue while taking into account the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
‘Turkiye is not behaving like a neutral nation.
It appears to be picking a side instead, and not India’s, according to India.
The Indian boycott of Turkiye is a fabricated dispute rather than a real crisis.
The discourse is consistent with the growing anti-Muslim attitude in various political segments of India.
Such media campaigns have targeted Turkiye because of its support for Muslim populations around the world, particularly in Palestine and Kashmir.
It aims to construct a geopolitical narrative at the expense of facts, propelled by media spin and selective outrage.
India accounts for just 0.64 percent of Turkey’s exports and 3 percent of its imports.
In 2024, Turkiye received over 60 million visitors, with only 330,000 of those visitors or 0.5% of the total coming from India.
As a result, boycotting trade, tourism and goods will not affect Turkey’s economy.
In addition to being inaccurate, some Indian news portals including prominent ones have propagandized the boycott by portraying it as a significant diplomatic retaliation against Turkiye.
Their goal is to falsify facts and exaggerate domestic political narratives.
Crucially, Turkiye upholds principles of justice, peace and harmony that are ingrained in its Islamic past and appeal to tourists from all over the world.
Despite efforts by certain media groups to damage this reputation, Turkiye remains a trusted destination for tourists from throughout the world [In actuality, the Indian Government has not formally called for a travel ban and major travel agencies are still marketing Turkiye as a destination].
Visitors come for the history, culture and people, not the politics.
Turkiye cannot be shaken by an Indian boycott since it is not reliant on a single market and is not subject to misinformation.
The truth must continue to serve as our common compass in a world full with false information.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
