{"id":109745,"date":"2026-06-25T11:30:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T06:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=109745"},"modified":"2026-06-25T11:36:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T06:06:50","slug":"india-turkey-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/india-turkey-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"India-Turkey Relations &#8211; From Strategic Estrangement to Pragmatic Re-engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>India-Turkey Relations Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and Turkey are cautiously <\/span><b>rebuilding <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bilateral ties after a prolonged period of diplomatic strain, largely driven by Ankara\u2019s support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue and defence cooperation with Islamabad.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the deterioration of relations after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in 2025, recent diplomatic engagements indicate<\/span><b> a gradual thaw<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on shared economic and strategic interests.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Evolution of India-Turkey Relations<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Relations witnessed significant growth after the rise of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in <\/span><b>2002<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-level visits, cultural exchanges, and business cooperation expanded steadily, with bilateral trade rising from about $700 million in 2002 to nearly <\/span><b>$13.8 billion in 2022<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, ties began deteriorating after <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/key-facts-about-turkey\/\" target=\"_blank\">Turkey<\/a><\/strong> repeatedly criticised India&#8217;s decisions regarding Jammu &amp; Kashmir, particularly the abrogation of <\/span><b>Article 370<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ankara&#8217;s consistent endorsement of Pakistan&#8217;s position on Kashmir deepened India&#8217;s strategic distrust.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Major Causes of Diplomatic Tensions<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Kashmir and Pakistan factor:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turkey emerged as one of Pakistan&#8217;s strongest supporters on Kashmir in international forums.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The relationship reached a low point when Erdogan reiterated support for Pakistan&#8217;s stance during his 2025 visit to Islamabad.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 civilians, Turkey criticised India&#8217;s military response, Operation Sindoor, and described it as &#8220;<\/span><b>unprovoked aggression<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;. This further aggravated bilateral tensions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Defence cooperation with Pakistan:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reports that Pakistan employed <\/span><b>Turkish-origin drones<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during Operation Sindoor intensified Indian concerns.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ankara&#8217;s defence exports and military cooperation with Pakistan were viewed in New Delhi as indirectly strengthening a country accused of sponsoring cross-border terrorism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Diplomatic and Economic Fallout<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Political signals:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India adopted several diplomatic measures to express its displeasure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absence from Turkish National Day celebrations in New Delhi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increased political outreach to Greece and Cyprus (including the Indian PM\u2019s visit to Nicosia).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Economic consequences: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The diplomatic crisis also produced economic repercussions. For example,<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Air India cancelled a major aircraft maintenance contract with a Turkish company.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian universities suspended academic MoUs with Turkish institutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian tourist arrivals to Turkey reportedly fell by nearly 37%.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Security clearance of Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services India was revoked on national security grounds.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bilateral trade experienced a slowdown.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Signs of a Diplomatic Thaw<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Resumption of official dialogue:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In April 2026, India and Turkey resumed Foreign Office Consultations after a four-year gap.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Discussions covered:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Trade and investment, tourism, technology and innovation, energy cooperation, education, counter-terrorism and security cooperation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both sides acknowledged the importance of sustained dialogue to prevent misunderstandings and manage disagreements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Cooperation on law enforcement:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A significant confidence-building measure (CBM) was Turkey&#8217;s assistance in <\/span><b>extraditing <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fugitive drug trafficker Salim Dola to India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discussions are underway regarding the extradition of additional criminals wanted by Indian authorities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Other CBMs:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both sides invoked <\/span><b>historical goodwill<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including India&#8217;s support for Turkey&#8217;s War of Independence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Turkey <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">clarified that military interactions with Pakistan were part of longstanding defence arrangements rather than new assistance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>India <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conveyed that its growing engagement with Cyprus and Greece is not an anti-Turkey strategy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Why Turkey Recalibrated Its Approach<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Economic imperatives:\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The backlash in India highlighted the costs of diplomatic estrangement.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turkey seeks to preserve access to the large Indian market; opportunities in infrastructure, construction and investment; and revenue from Indian tourism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India remains an important destination for Turkish <\/span><b>exports <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">such as marble, machinery and agricultural products, while Turkey <\/span><b>imports <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian chemicals, machinery and automobile components.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Strategic diversification:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Turkey pursues a more autonomous foreign policy despite being a NATO member, it aims to deepen engagement with emerging Asian powers, including India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Turkish Foreign Minister has publicly emphasised that Ankara seeks positive bilateral ties with India independent of its relationship with Pakistan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Why India Is Interested in Re-engagement<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Geopolitical significance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A functional relationship with Turkey offers India:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greater outreach in the Islamic world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to European and Central Asian markets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhanced connectivity opportunities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strategic balancing amid evolving regional geopolitics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Trade and connectivity interests:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite political tensions, commercial ties remained relatively resilient. India recognises the strategic value of maintaining economic engagement with Turkey.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintaining ties with Turkey provides <\/span><b>flexibility <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in pursuing alternative trade and transit routes (<\/span><b>IMEC <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>INSTC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) amid ongoing instability in West Asia.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The India\u2013Turkey relationship is moving from confrontation towards cautious pragmatism, with collaboration in multilateral forums such as the <\/span><b>G20<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and convergence on reforming global governance institutions (like <\/span><b>UNSC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian policymakers believe that a more balanced and nuanced Turkish position on Kashmir would significantly strengthen bilateral relations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/india-turkey-relations-after-operation-sindoor-explained-10737440\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>IE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following the deterioration of relations after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in 2025, recent diplomatic engagements indicate a gradual thaw in India-Turkey relations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":109756,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[8306],"class_list":{"0":"post-109745","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-india-turkey-relations","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109745"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109776,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109745\/revisions\/109776"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}