&nbsp;Turkey&rsquo;s Alignment with Pakistan Raises Strategic Questions for India
In a move that has deepened diplomatic fault lines, Turkey has once again thrown its weight behind Pakistan amid heightened tensions with India. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan&rsquo;s unambiguous endorsement of Islamabad during&nbsp;Operation Sindoor, India&rsquo;s strategic military push to counter cross-border provocations, has not only ruffled feathers in New Delhi but has also cast a long shadow over Indo-Turkish relations.
As India&rsquo;s armed forces successfully neutralised a string of provocations&mdash;including Turkish-manufactured drones launched from Pakistan and Chinese radar systems embedded along the Line of Control&mdash;Ankara&rsquo;s decision to align itself with Islamabad stands as a glaring deviation from the spirit of regional balance and neutrality.
Indian Air Defence forces, in a measured and resolute display of capability, jammed and blinded Chinese radar installations aiding Pakistani military efforts. Further escalations saw Turkish-origin drones, deployed by the Pakistan Army, being intercepted and destroyed before they could inflict any damage&mdash;an operational milestone that has not gone unnoticed in regional military circles.
While India continues to demonstrate tactical restraint and technological superiority, Erdoğan&rsquo;s vocal support for Pakistan&mdash;couched in religious fraternity and historical ties&mdash;has prompted a nationwide backlash in India. The call to&nbsp;boycott Turkish goods and tourism, already gaining momentum across Indian social platforms, has resulted in a sharp uptick in travel cancellations to Istanbul and other Turkish destinations.
Despite these unfolding consequences, President Erdoğan remains defiant. In a public statement reaffirming his stance, he declared,&nbsp;&ldquo;No economic losses will deter Turkey from standing with Muslim brother Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;This comment, couched in the language of pan-Islamic solidarity, signals a prioritisation of ideological alignment over pragmatic diplomacy&mdash;particularly at a time when regional powers are striving for multilateral stability.
In a further show of mutual admiration, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Erdoğan for his "unwavering solidarity" and spoke of a bond that has "grown stronger with each challenge." Echoing this sentiment, the Turkish President described the Ankara-Islamabad relationship as a rare example of &ldquo;true friendship,&rdquo; underscoring his intention to remain by Pakistan&rsquo;s side &ldquo;in good and bad times.&rdquo;
Turkey&rsquo;s current posturing risks reducing its regional credibility. As one of the few major Muslim-majority nations with which India historically maintained constructive engagement, Turkey&rsquo;s alignment with Pakistan in a bilateral conflict threatens to unravel years of cultural, trade, and people-to-people connectivity. India has, in recent years, extended olive branches towards Ankara, from bilateral trade talks to diplomatic engagements on global platforms, despite previous ideological divergences&mdash;especially regarding Jammu and Kashmir.
The Erdogan government&rsquo;s increasing ideological tilt&mdash;further cemented by its recent posturing&mdash;may well push India to recalibrate its diplomatic and trade approach to Turkey and, by extension, to countries seen echoing similar narratives. In geopolitical terms, such alignment also risks further isolating Turkey from the emerging Indo-Western strategic consensus, where economic pragmatism and multilateral cooperation are valued over religious or ideological posturing.
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Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (File photo)

Turkey’s tilt toward Pakistan draws Indian ire as religious ties trump strategic balance

Erdogan Picks Pakistan Over India in ‘Muslim Unity’ Push

Turkey’s tilt toward Pakistan draws Indian ire as religious ties trump strategic balance

May 15, 2025 | 14:55 IST