Of Erdoğan's Gambit, Kamikaze Drones, and Diplomatic Chill

India-Türkiye ties are strained over Ankara's Islamabad tilt, its arms links with Pakistan, and fallout from the Pahalgam terror attack.

- Archis Mohan explains

India has officially taken note of Türkiye's diplomatic support and military assistance to Pakistan, both preceding and during Operation Sindoor, which followed the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. That Türkiye has been omitted from the 32-nation-plus-European Union itinerary of seven Indian delegations—comprising parliamentarians, former Union ministers and ex-diplomats—launching a global outreach campaign next week is, therefore, unsurprising.

Still, the absence is notable. In 2024 alone, 330,000 Indian tourists travelled to Türkiye—a figure that reflects years of flourishing commercial and cultural ties. That such relations have soured with striking suddenness has raised a few eyebrows, though foreign policy watchers caution that the trajectory has been trending downward for some time—particularly since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rise to power, first as Prime Minister in 2003 and then as President from 2014.

In contrast to three visits to India—in 2008, 2017, and most recently for the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit—Erdoğan has travelled to Pakistan no fewer than 10 times. His overt affinity for Pakistan has never been discreet. Türkiye-Pakistan ties have deep roots, says Sanjay Bhattacharyya, India's former ambassador to Ankara (2018-2020), but Ankara has become "more vocal" in its support for Islamabad during Erdoğan's tenure.