In February 2023, when Turkey and Syria faced a devastating earthquake, which killed almost 52,000 people, India was amongst the first countries to respond. India launched ‘Operation Dost’ where it deployed a field hospital and sent tons of relief material, hoping to change Indo-Turkey relationship. Indian rescue teams worked around the clock pulling survivors from rubble. The Turkish ambassador thanked India for its support and for some time President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stopped his anti-India tirade. PM Modi also met him on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Delhi in September the same year and they discussed enhancing trade ties.

Simultaneously, Turkey was seeking to challenge Saudi Arabia for leadership of the Islamic world and hence moving closer to Pakistan. With the passage of time, everything went back to the way it was and Turkey’s statements on Kashmir and support to Pakistan again eroded ties. Turkish media continuously played out anti-India narratives. The turning point was when it, alongside Azerbaijan, backed Pakistan with military and diplomatic support during Operation Sindoor. Pakistan used Turkish drones and missiles, none of which were successful. The result was an Indian boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Tourism from India, amongst the largest to Turkey, and a major revenue earner, dropped drastically. Cancellations surged, destination weddings were called off, Indian universities severed ties with Turkish counterparts and e-commerce platforms felt compelled to drop Turkish brands. Indian tourist spending in Turkey and Azerbaijan was USD 400 million in 2024, which has since reduced substantially. Simultaneously, India moved to challenge both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Armenia, Azerbaijan’s adversary and the nation standing against the Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan axis, began procuring Indian and French military equipment.

In its recent Republic Day parade in Yerevan, Armenia showcased new military equipment now deployed in the country as a counter to Azerbaijan. The equipment includes Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, Swathi weapon locating radars, Akash air........

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