India Rules Out Quick Thaw in Ties with Turkey After Ankara Backs Pakistan

Briefing the Standing Committee on External Affairs on Monday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told MPs that New Delhi does not expect a thaw with Ankara any time soon. According to people present at the closed‑door meeting, Misri noted that Turkey “made its stand very clear in its support to Pakistan” and India therefore “does not see the relations … becoming normalised in the near future.”

Committee members from across party lines—including Shashi Tharoor, Asaduddin Owaisi and Abhishek Banerjee—attended the briefing, which focused on the objectives and results of Operation Sindoor.

Why relations soured

Operation Sindoor: Launched on 7 May after a terror attack killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, the Indian operation struck nine terrorist camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan‑occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Turkish support for Pakistan: Ankara publicly criticised India’s strikes as “provocative” and, according to Indian officials, supplied Turkish‑made Baykar Yiha III kamikaze drones that Pakistan later used in cross‑border attacks.

Drone interceptions: India’s air‑defence network—featuring S‑400 and Akash systems—shot down multiple drones and missiles between 7 and 10 May.

The episode came barely a year after India’s humanitarian “Operation Dost” sent relief teams to Turkey following the February 2023 earthquake.

Wider diplomatic backdrop

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also made disturbing comments on Kashmir, recently telling Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Ankara is ready to “explore ways to assist” on the issue—remarks India views as interference in its internal affairs.

During Monday’s committee session, MPs pressed the foreign secretary on several related topics, including:

US President Donald Trump’s claim of brokering last week’s cease‑fire.

Domestic criticism from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over India’s diplomatic handling of the crisis.

Misri underscored that any future provocations—whether via drones, missiles or terror strikes—would be met with “strong” action by India’s armed forces.

What happens next?

Officials in New Delhi expect bilateral engagement with Ankara to remain minimal. Any near‑term improvement will likely depend on Turkey distancing itself from Pakistan‑based terrorist activity—a prospect Indian diplomats currently consider remote.