Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his firm support for Pakistan, referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his “Dear Brother” and promised to stand in Pakistan in good times and bad times.
The announcement comes as tensions between India and Pakistan are intensifying, and a growing call for boycott of Turkish goods and tourism in India. Erdogan’s statement was followed by a message from PM Sharif, who thanked Turkey for its support, Operation Sindoor in India, a counter-terrorism operation in response to the deadly attacks of Pahalgam terrorist attacks Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmir.
Erdogan stressed the strength of Turkey-Pakistan relations, calling them “one of the best examples of true friendship” and concluded with “Bakistan-Turkey friendship!”.
The Turkish president’s rhetoric has intensified strong opposition in India, where citizens and officials expressed concern about Türkiye’s consistency with Pakistan. Reports have emerged that the drones used in cross-border strikes against India are of Turkish origin, especially the Asisguard Songar model. In response, Indian citizens have already widely boycotted Türkiye and Azerbaijan products and tourism.
Major travel companies, including MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip, have suspended books to Turkey and Azerbaijan, citing a significant drop in demand.The Indian government’s decision to block the X (formerly Twitter) account of Turkish news outlet TRT World further underscores the deteriorating diplomatic relationships between the two nations.As tensions continue to escalate, the impact on bilateral trade and tourism between India and Turkey remain uncertain. However, the current trajectory shows significant pressure on diplomatic and economic ties.
