DeskReport
Calls for a boycott of Turkey are gaining momentum across India as Turkey has openly supported Pakistan in the wake of recent India-Pakistan tensions. Initially, the call was for a travel boycott, but has now escalated to severing ties in business and education.
The BBC reported on Friday that India’s civil aviation ministry has revoked the operating licence of Turkish ground handling company Celebi Aviation, citing security concerns. The company was playing a key role at major airports such as Delhi and Mumbai.
India’s Minister of State for Civil Aviation said via X that there have been calls from across the country to ban Celebi. He said, “Considering the matter seriously in the national interest, we have withdrawn the company’s security clearance.”
Meanwhile, Celebi has said that they will take administrative and legal action against the order. The company also claimed that the security clearance was revoked unfairly. It also said that they are not responsible for any disruption to Indian air traffic.
Not just business, several top Indian universities—including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University—have suspended academic ties with Turkish institutions.
Turkey and Azerbaijan openly sided with Pakistan when India launched airstrikes in response to the deadly attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir. Turkey also warned of the possibility of launching a “full-scale war” against India.
In this situation, calls for a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan have become strong on social media and are also being echoed by the country’s political leadership. The issue has also had a huge impact on Indian travelers. MakeMyTrip reported that bookings for trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan have fallen by 60 percent and cancellation rates have increased by up to 250 percent.
Rohit Khattar, owner of a travel agency in Delhi, said that many young travelers are now hesitant to go to Turkey due to fears of social backlash.
Government statistics show that about 330,100 Indians visited Turkey in 2024, which was an increase compared to 2023. India also had a large presence in Azerbaijan. Last year, 244,000 Indians visited there, which is 9 percent of the country’s total foreign tourists.
Turkey and Azerbaijan have become popular destinations for Indians as they offer a low-cost European experience. However, this trend may be reversed in the current situation.
Many on social media are suggesting countries like Greece as an alternative, although travel site Cleartrip says there has been no significant demand for alternative destinations yet.
Time will tell how this diplomatic tension will affect India-Turkey relations and the geopolitics of South Asia in the future.
