Strategic Blind Spot or Calculated Diplomacy? Experts Question India’s Engagement with Turkey
In a development that has sparked strong reactions from national security analysts and foreign policy commentators, India is facing sharp criticism for its continued diplomatic and commercial engagement with Turkey — a country known for its overt support to Pakistan on key geopolitical issues, including Kashmir.
The controversy reignited after a detailed report by The Economic Times revealed that Turkish Airlines is disproportionately benefiting from its long-standing codeshare agreement with IndiGo, India’s largest airline. Under this partnership, Turkish Airlines and IndiGo jointly operate flights to more than 30 destinations across Europe and the United States, with Turkish Airlines enjoying enhanced visibility and traffic inflow.
While such cooperation may seem like a routine business move, critics argue that the timing and geopolitical backdrop make it appear tone-deaf.
“Feeding the Snake”: Experts Call It a Strategic Misstep
National security expert and Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, Sushant Sareen, minced no words in his assessment. Reacting to the report, he tweeted:
“India is not a serious country. We feed snakes and then wonder why they bite us. We reward our enemies and treat our friends shabbily.“
Sareen emphasized that Turkey has repeatedly opposed India’s position on Kashmir in international forums, supported Pakistan militarily, and even raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly — a move India had strongly objected to.
Turkey’s Tilt Towards Pakistan: A Known Concern
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has emerged as a vocal advocate of Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, often positioning Ankara as a ‘brotherly ally’ of Islamabad. Turkey and Pakistan have signed multiple defense deals, including naval ship construction, drone technology exchanges, and training agreements.
During past international summits, Erdoğan has referred to Kashmir as an “open wound,” directly challenging India’s sovereignty over the region. In response, India had issued formal demarches and reduced high-level engagements with Turkey.
Yet, experts argue, the continued commercial engagement with Turkish enterprises contradicts India’s foreign policy stance.
The Larger Backdrop: India-Pakistan Flashpoint Intensifies
This diplomatic unease unfolds against the backdrop of heightened Indo-Pak tensions following the recent Pahalgam massacre, where 26 Indian tourists were killed in a terror attack. India blames Pakistan-sponsored militants for the bloodshed, while Pakistan denies involvement.
The fallout has included:
- India downgrading diplomatic ties further
- Suspension of the Indus Water Treaty cooperation
- Reports of heavy cross-border firing along the Line of Control
- Warnings by Pakistani intelligence that India may initiate military strikes in retaliation
In this highly charged atmosphere, the India-Turkey alliance — commercial or otherwise — is drawing public scrutiny and political rebuke.
Commercial Gains vs Strategic Costs: Is India Sending Mixed Signals?
Critics of the codeshare agreement point out that Turkey stands to gain far more. Turkish Airlines, leveraging its global network, benefits from the vast domestic market of IndiGo and gains transit passengers for long-haul flights. Meanwhile, India’s soft diplomacy appears inconsistent.
Former diplomat Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty told Business Today:
“Our foreign policy cannot afford to operate in silos. If we are reevaluating relations with Canada and the Maldives due to political posturing, why are we still expanding ties with Turkey, which has been far more aggressive on Kashmir?”
India’s Strategic Dilemma: Realpolitik or Diplomatic Oversight?
Defenders of the partnership argue that India must separate commerce from politics and maintain engagement with all regional powers for broader influence. But that view is increasingly being challenged.
Security expert Brahma Chellaney has previously cautioned against allowing economic ties to be exploited by adversarial regimes. On multiple occasions, he has noted:
“Economic interdependence doesn’t neutralize threats when the partner is ideologically or strategically aligned against you.“
Impact on India’s Global Image
The optics of rewarding a known Pakistan ally with lucrative airspace and market access deals — especially in the wake of terror attacks — may send mixed signals to global observers. It risks undermining India’s claims of a coherent, assertive foreign policy.
This contradiction could affect:
- Global diplomatic credibility, particularly in Western strategic circles
- Public confidence, as citizens question policy consistency
- Investor trust, in a climate where geopolitical decisions increasingly influence markets
Conclusion: Time for a Policy Reset?
As India navigates a volatile geopolitical landscape, its foreign and commercial policies must align more strategically. The growing unease over the IndiGo-Turkish Airlines deal may be the spark needed for a reassessment of how India balances economic pragmatism with national security imperatives.
With tensions escalating on multiple fronts, policy consistency is no longer a diplomatic luxury — it’s a strategic necessity.