Turkey’s Erdogan Reaffirmed Brotherhood With Pakistan Amid Boycott Calls By Indians
New Delhi : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has doubled down on the Turkey-Pakistan brotherhood despite a growing call in India to boycott everything Turkish. Turkey not only provided Pakistan with military drones, but also operatives in its latest confrontation with India. A Turkish Air Force C-130 aircraft and a warship reached Pakistan even as temperatures soared after India vowed justice to the families of the 26 people killed by Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22.
Pakistan tried to swarm India’s aerial defences with Turkish drones. It reportedly used Bayraktar TB2 and YIHA drones against India. But what added to the anger of Indians was that Turkey not only supplied military hardware but Turkish operatives too. The hashtag BoycottTurkey has been trending in India, as Indians feel betrayed. India conducted Operation Dost to rush in aid to Turkey after the massive 2023 earthquake, but it returned the favour with drones to Pakistan.
Indians are cancelling trips to Turkey and calling for a boycott of Turkish products. From politicians and actors to military veterans, everyone is lending voice to the “Boycott Turkey” movement. However, Erdogan seems to be far from bothered with calls for a boycott echoing in India. He responded to Sharif’s post in Turkish, highlighting the strong brotherhood.
“The Turkey-Pakistan brotherhood, which is granted to very few nations in the world, is one of the finest examples of true friendship. As Turkey, we attach great importance to Pakistan’s peace, tranquility, and stability,” said Erdogan. Without naming India or the recent conflict, he lauded Pakistan’s “sensible policy” and its focus on “reconciliation”.
Shehbaz Sharif had written to thank Erdogan for the strong support shown by Turkey. Though the conflict with India wasn’t mentioned, it was apparent what he was referring to, especially due to the choice of the word “challenge”.”My dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strong support and unwavering solidarity with Pakistan have deeply touched me,” wrote Sharif.
“Pakistan takes pride in its long-standing, time-tested, and enduring fraternal ties with Turkiye, which grow stronger with each new challenge,” he added. Throughout India’s Operation Sindoor, Ankara had been actively supporting Pakistan, both militarily and diplomatically. Not just Turkey, Azerbaijan too supported Pakistan and condemned India’s strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and POK.