Amid a fallout between India and Turkey over the latter's support for Pakistan, a section of Turkish media has raised alarm about "India's revenge move", which is New Delhi's plan to step up cooperation with Turkey's arch nemesis Greece. This comes a day after Pakistan President Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir visited Turkey to pay obeisance to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for their support.
Interestingly, it is a report that appeared in Greek newspaper Ekathimerini that triggered a wave of panic in Turkey. The report said India was "exploring strategic investments in Greece, targeting defense industries, ports, tourism, and potential labor agreements." This includes investing in Greece's defense sector, particularly the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB) and Hellenic Defense Systems (EAS).
India is also showing interest in Greek ports, especially the port of Thessaloniki aiming to limit China’s influence in European infrastructure. "A cross-party delegation of Indian MPs is expected in Athens this week, to reinforce bilateral ties as Greek-Indian political relations remain excellent," Ekathimerini added.
It was this report that caused a flutter in Ankara. "Pakistan's resort to Turkish-made weapons and UAVs has led India to support Greece, Türkiye's geopolitical rival in the region," reported Kent Gazetezi, a Turkish local newspaper.
Another newspaper Son Mühür, India "was now playing the Greece card against Turkey". It added that Ankara's open support for Pakistan has led to India's revenge moves and after the boycott campaigns, India was now preparing to take steps towards a partnership with Greece, especially in the defense industry.
Meanwhile, another newspaper Bursada Bugün has claimed that India is planning to end partnership with Turkish engineering company Tümaş. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited entered into a pact with Tümaş in April last year on important infrastructure projects. The Indian Government will make the decision to cancel the project, citing the lack of progress. The Indian government will officially announce it, the report added.
Meanwhile, the tourism sector in Turkey is feeling the pinch with mass wedding cancellations. Tourism expert Hamit Kuk told Istanbul-based website Haber Kenti that the boycott has prompted Turkey to take note of India's serious share in the business for the first time.
"The tourism sector has also been affected. Indian weddings are generally quite flashy and costly and Turkey has started to take a serious share in this business for the first time. Wedding organisations usually range between 70 million and 150 million dollars. However, there are difficulties this year and we will see how things will progress in the future," Kuk added.