Jamia, MANUU Join JNU in Suspending MoUs with Turkish Universities Amid Security Row
New Delhi: Following Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), two more Indian universities Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in Delhi and Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad have suspended academic partnerships with Turkish institutions, citing national security concerns.
JNU was the first to announce the move on Wednesday, stating it had suspended its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Inonu University in Turkey. This decision comes amid growing national discontent over Turkey’s public backing of Pakistan in the wake of India’s military offensive under Operation Sindoor.
The backlash against Turkey has been fueled further by reports of Turkish-origin drones being used by Pakistan to breach Indian airspace, sparking significant political and public outcry.
On Thursday, Jamia Millia Islamia confirmed it had suspended all MoUs with Turkish institutions affiliated with the Government of the Republic of Türkiye. “Due to national security considerations, any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and any institution affiliated with the Government of the Republic of Türkiye stands suspended with immediate effect, until further orders,” the university stated.
MANUU also terminated its MoU with Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute. “The decision has been taken in protest against Turkey’s support for Pakistan’s terrorist activities in the context of Indo-Pak tensions,” said the university registrar in an official release.
The suspended MoU, signed on January 2, 2024, had established a Turkish language diploma course within the university’s School of Languages, Linguistics, and Indology. As part of the agreement, a Visiting Professor from Turkey had been engaged, who has since returned home.
The developments are part of a broader trend, with rising calls for a tourism and cultural boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan both of which have expressed support for Pakistan and criticized India’s counter-terrorism operations.
According to media reports, travel platform MakeMyTrip has registered a 60 percent decline in bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan, along with a surge in cancellations. In a related move, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) on Wednesday urged the Indian film industry to cease filming projects in Turkey.