When a devastating earthquake struck Türkiye, India stood by the country with generous humanitarian assistance through Operation Dost.
However, despite India’s goodwill, Türkiye has chosen to align itself with Pakistan, exposing its priorities as a staunchly Islamic state, Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Sanjay Nirupam said at a press conference held in Mumbai on Friday.
“There is widespread anger across India over Türkiye’s pro-Pakistan stance,” Nirupam stated.
“Türkiye’s support to Pakistan—including supplying drones used in attacks against India—is unacceptable. Fortunately, our defence systems, including the Sudarshan Chakra, successfully neutralised these drone and missile threats.”
He emphasised that Türkiye’s actions had deeply wounded Indian sentiments.
“Türkiye’s betrayal will not be forgotten. Alongside Türkiye, Azerbaijan has also extended support to Pakistan. Every year, nearly 3 lakh Indian tourists visit Türkiye and 2 lakh travel to Azerbaijan.Now, nearly 50 per cent of those travellers have cancelled their trips. Indians are consciously choosing to boycott these countries, and the economic consequences will be significant.”
Nirupam also revealed that the Central Government had begun taking action against Turkish companies operating in India.
“Action has already been initiated against Çelebi, a company involved in ground-handling services at Indian airports. In addition, Indian traders have started boycotting Turkish imports such as fruits, dry fruits, and other goods.”
ALSO READ | Çelebi Aviation sues India over 'vague' clearance revocation
Offering historical context, Nirupam pointed out that Islamic invasions in India could be traced back to Türkiye.
“Turkish invasions began almost a thousand years ago with Mahmud of Ghazni. His successor, Muhammad Ghori, laid the foundation of the Turkish empire in India and attacked key temples, including the sacred Somnath Temple. Even during British rule, Indian Muslims launched the Khilafat Movement in 1919 in support of the Turkish Caliphate. These historical facts must not be ignored while analysing present-day geopolitics.”
