Boycott Turkey' drive in India over its support for Pakistan

Anger sparked by Ankara's military backing for Islamabad in its conflict with New Delhi

- Debarshi Dasgupta

NEW DELHI - There is a groundswell of public anger in India against Turkey over Ankara's strong political and military support for Pakistan in the recent conflict between the two South Asian neighbours, which erupted following a terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.

New Delhi blames Pakistan for the attack that left 26 civilians dead in Pahalgam - a charge Islamabad denies. India launched air strikes on alleged terror camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan on May 7. Islamabad retaliated by deploying swarms of Turkish-made drones that crossed over into India, bringing into relief its close military relationship with Ankara.

Turkey, which has a Muslim-majority population and has in the past aligned more with Pakistan's position on the Kashmir dispute, also offered its unambiguous political support for Pakistan this time. While it condemned the terrorist attack in Kashmir, Ankara said India's retaliatory air strikes had raised "the risk of an all-out war".

"We condemn such provocative steps as well as attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure," it added, endorsing Pakistan's call for an investigation into the April 22 incident.

India, however, has rebuffed any such calls, bringing up Pakistan's past lack of cooperation in similar anti-terror investigations and describing its latest call as "stonewalling tactics".

Angered by this recent Turkish support for Pakistan, a "Boycott Turkey" campaign has gained traction in India, where patriotic sentiments are running high in the wake of the conflict with Pakistan.

Indians have cancelled their holidays in Turkey and traders are not buying Turkish goods. On May 19, the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation, whose members supply goods to around 13 million grocery stores, announced an "indefinite and total boycott" of all Turkish-origin goods, including chocolates, biscuits and skincare products.