Turkish press:  India boycott is shooting yourself in the foot

A multipronged boycott of Turkey — driven by public sentiment in India and strengthened by social media campaigns — has already had an economic and diplomatic impact, writes DW.

Two weeks ago, deadly fighting erupted between India and Pakistan after New Delhi struck what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

India launched the strikes after a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam town in India-administered Kashmir, in which 26 mostly Indian Hindu tourists were killed.

New Delhi said the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist organization, had carried out the attack and accused Islamabad of backing it. The Pakistani government denied the allegation.

A rapid military escalation followed, with both countries sending missiles and drones targeting each other’s military installations.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, Muslim-majority nations that are popular budget holiday destinations for Indians, both issued statements backing Islamabad in the conflict.

Tourism, trade and education hit

Social media campaigns and public outrage fueled boycott calls, with hashtags such as #BoycottTurkey gaining traction.

Tourism to Turkey, which saw at least 274,000 Indian visitors last year, has plummeted — with bookings down 60% and cancellations up 250%, according to travel agencies.

Popular travel platforms such as EaseMyTrip, MakeMyTrip, and Ixigo have suspended bookings, stopped promotions, and  issued advisories against non-essential travel.

Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters that: “Every hardworking Indian who travels abroad as a tourist understands today that their hard-earned rupee should not be spent on those who help the enemies of our country.”

Last week, India’s civil aviation ministry also revoked the security clearance of the Turkish aviation company Celebi, which provides ground services at major Indian airports, on grounds related to “national security,” with immediate effect. Celebi has launched a legal challenge to the decision.

While revoking Celebi’s clearance, India’s junior aviation minister, Murlidhar Mohol, said on X that the government had received requests to ban Celebi.

In fact, Indian press sources are full of stories about the harm unleashed upon Turkey because of her support of Moslem ally Pakistan in the brief war.  But, are these stories true, or self-aggrandizement?

Diplomatic Dispute Spills into Trade and Tourism

India’s boycott decision has begun to show its impact, particularly in the tourism and services sectors. One of the first casualties was Turkish company Çelebi, which manages all ground operations at Mumbai International Airport — now reportedly banned from operating.

Alongside halted business partnerships in various sectors, India has also announced a formal boycott of Turkish products. This raises the key question: What effect will India’s actions have on Turkey?

Limited Trade Volume: $1.3 Billion in Exports vs $6.4 Billion in Imports

India is not among Turkey’s major partners in either trade or tourism. In 2024, Turkey exported $1.3 billion worth of goods and services to India, while importing $6.4 billion in return. This means India accounted for just 0.5% of Turkey’s total $261.9 billion in exports last year. Likewise, Indian products made up only 2% of Turkey’s total imports.

Industry Groups Say India Has More to Lose

According to a report by Yeni Şafak, representatives from Turkish export associations stated that they have the capacity to offset any short-term losses from India’s boycott. They argued that the ultimate loser will be India, not Turkey.

“The numbers may not be large, but for every dollar we export, we import six from India,” one sector official said. “If Turkey responds with reciprocal measures, this imbalance could shift. Our $5 billion trade deficit with India could improve. Many of the products we currently import from India can either be replaced by local production or sourced from alternative markets.”

Tourism Impact Likely to Be Minimal

One of the earliest visible effects of the boycott came in the tourism sector. While Indian tour operators reported a surge in cancellations of trips to Turkey, representatives from Turkey’s tourism industry remain calm.

In 2024, Turkey welcomed 62.2 million international visitors. Of these, just 330,000 came from India — a relatively small share. Tourism professionals argue that this figure is too low to significantly impact the broader industry, and any losses can easily be made up by other source markets.

You decide!

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