The Bitter Taste of ‘Turkish Delight’: Analysing India-Turkey Relations in Contemporary Times

The gruesome attack on Hindu tourists in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists with proven links to the Pakistani establishment has once again brought India and Pakistan to armed conflict. While India has been getting support from several countries in its fight against terror, there are some states that have also come out in support of Pakistan, both explicitly and implicitly. And these states have been traditional supporters of Pakistan for various socio-political reasons. The most prominent among them are China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.

Although Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have a long history of close ties with Pakistan, held talks with the leaders of both nations to ease tensions, reports about China and Turkey have indicated that they gave Pakistan lethal weapons to help it in case of a clash with India. China has also stated that it would assist Pakistan in defending its security interests and sovereignty, in addition to providing arms to Islamabad. However, the most noteworthy support for Pakistan has come from Turkey, a fellow Muslim country and a successor state of the Ottoman Empire, one of the largest empires in the world. By the time of writing this article, India had launched Operation Sindoor, hitting the terror camps in PoK. Turkey had also backed Pakistan after India’s earlier strikes on terror camps in recent years.

Relations between Turkey and Pakistan

Following Pakistan’s creation in 1947, relations between Turkey and Pakistan,  based on shared cultural and religious ties, quickly developed.  One of the first nations to give recognition to Pakistan was Turkey, which also supported the Islamic Republic’s 1948 bid to join the UN. Through the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) and the Baghdad Pact (later CENTO), both countries came together in the 1950s to promote defence and economic cooperation. Apart from this, Turkey continuously backed Pakistan in the Kashmir dispute during the 20^th century, providing diplomatic support and pushing for UN resolutions in favour of Islamabad during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars. In return, Pakistan backed Turkey in the Cyprus dispute. Military ties grew stronger as Pakistan periodically sold aerial weapons to Turkey, and Turkey trained and armed the Pakistani military. The relationship was also characterised by humanitarian aid, such as Pakistan’s support during Turkey’s 1999 and 2011 earthquakes and Turkey’s $150 million worth in assistance following the 2005 earthquake in the PoK.

The two countries have come even closer with Recep Tayyip Erdogan coming to power in Turkey in 2002. Erdogan, a staunchly Muslim politician who professes the ideology of Neo-Ottomanism,  has undertaken to make Turkey more Islamic, and has found in Pakistan a natural ally.

Amidst the heightened tension between India and Pakistan post-Pahalgam attack, there are reports that TCG Bykada, a Turkish Navy cruiser, has recently called at Karachi Port.  In addition, six Turkish military planes, Lockheed C-130 Hercules, also landed in Pakistan. The timing of these actions has raised questions about possible underlying geopolitical objectives, despite Ankara and Islamabad characterising them as routine and goodwill gestures. The Turkish authorities have denied any military cargo transfers, claiming that the planes were merely re-fuelling. Nevertheless, several Pakistani media outlets have suggested the planes might have been carrying combat gear, which Turkey has categorically denied.  However, concerns have been expressed regarding Ankara’s position in view of the deployment of Turkish military assets during a severe regional crisis, particularly given reports of ammunition shortages in Pakistan. Turkish support for Islamabad has also been reaffirmed by Turkey’s demonstration of solidarity, particularly during President Erdogan’s meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif soon after the Pahalgam incident.  Turkey has helped Pakistan in the upgradation of its F-16 fighter jets, has sold it drones such as the Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci, and has been working to jointly build fighter jets and advanced missile systems with Pakistan. 

What India Must do Keep Turkey in Check

India-Turkey ties, which were formally established in 1948, have fluctuated between collaboration and tension. Cold War dynamics caused tensions in the initially cordial relations—India was a co-founder of the Non Aligned Movement, while Turkey became a member of NATO.  Despite India’s assistance to Turkey at various times, as in COVID-19 crisis or in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake, Ankara has not reciprocated India’s goodwill gesture. One of the main grounds of contention is Turkey’s backing of Pakistan regarding Jammu & Kashmir, as demonstrated by Ankara’s 2019 condemnation of India’s repealing of the Article 370, that was linked to the temporary special status of J&K.  

India should implement a multipronged policy involving economic, political, and strategic components to challenge the Turkey-Pakistan axis while preserving regional stability.  Strengthening connections with neighbouring Greece, Cyprus, Armenia, and Israel, that help contain Turkey’s power is, therefore a must.  Turkey’s regional aspirations may be thwarted by India’s expanding defence and commercial ties with Israel and Greece with which India could hold joint military exercises.  The OIC’s anti-Indian stance on Kashmir can also be softened by coordinating with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two allies of India which also have tense relations with Turkey. To counter Turkey’s narrative on Kashmir, India must also actively participate in international fora such as the UN and deploy deft diplomacy on the issue to expose Pakistani disinformation.  While exposing Pakistan’s ties to terrorism, India should highlight its own democratic credentials and the progress achieved in Jammu and Kashmir after Article 370 was revoked.

India’s deterrent has already been greatly strengthened by its purchase of Rafale jets and other weapons from France and its investments in domestic systems like the Tejas LCA.  Turkish-Pakistani maritime ambitions can also be restrained by holding joint naval exercises with the Quad nations in the Indian Ocean. In addition, it is crucial to increase India’s economic and cultural clout in West and Central Asia, two areas where Turkey wishes to take a leadership role.  In contrast to Turkey-Pakistan’s divisive rhetoric, initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and India’s $3 billion in aid to Afghanistan can bolster India’s positive influence. New Delhi must also push for the sale of BrahMos missile to Greece, a deal that has long been stalled  by concerns from Greece’s NATO partners, given that the  BrahMos has been jointly developed by India and Russia.