Turkey is being boycotted in India for supporting Pakistan. Not only have travel cancellations increased, but every item imported from Turkey, including apples and marble, is being boycotted. On May 16, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) announced to end trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Business leaders from 24 states of the country participated in the meeting held in Delhi. CAIT had said on Thursday that there is no question of doing business with a country that is against India. When India-Pakistan tension increased after the Pahalgam attack on April 22, Turkey-Azerbaijan openly supported Pakistan and also sent drones, weapons and trained people to operate them to Pakistan for use against India. After this, boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan has started across the country. Five big steps to boycott Turkey Know what effect the boycott will have on Turkey’s economy India-Turkey trade: Turkey is the largest supplier of apples There has been no major change in trade between the two countries in the last 5 years. Between April 2024 and February 2025, India sold goods worth $ 5.2 billion (? 44,500 crores) to Turkey. In 2023-24, this figure was $ 6.65 billion (Rs 56,873 crores). During this period, India bought goods worth $ 2.84 billion (about 24,320 crores) from Turkey. India has always had a trade surplus in the bilateral trade of the two countries. That is, we have sold more goods from Turkey than we have bought. India mainly exports mineral fuels, auto parts, machinery, pharmaceuticals and cotton. However, imports from Turkey include gold, marble, apples, vegetables, cement and chemicals. Turkie is one of the largest suppliers of apples to India. Boycott’s impact on Turkie: Increasing trade deficit will affect the economy 1. Last year 3.30 lakh Indian tourists visited Turkie In 2024, about 3.30 lakh Indian tourists visited Turkie, contributing around ?3,000 crore to Turkey’s economy. The boycott has led to a 60% drop in travel bookings and a 250% increase in cancellations. Major travel booking companies in the country – platforms like EaseMyTrip, ixigo and MakeMyTrip – have also stopped promoting Turkie. This may affect Turkey’s tourism sector. 2. Export market loss India is a big market for Turkey’s marble and apples. The boycott will force Turkie to find other markets for its products, which may not be able to take the product in the same quantity or pay the prices. According to OEC, India imported apples worth about $92.8 million from Turkie in 2023. Traders in Pune have decided to stop buying apples from Turkie. Instead, they are buying apples from Himachal, Uttarakhand, Iran and other regions. According to the storyboard, Turkie currently supplies about 70% of India’s imported marble – about 14 to 18 lakh tonnes annually, worth between ?2,500 to ?3,000 crore. According to media reports, the Udaipur Marble Processors Association, representing 125 marble firms, has urged the government to immediately ban marble imports from Turkie. If India’s exports continue and Turkie’s exports decrease, Turkey’s trade deficit with India may increase. This can have a direct impact on its economy. Boycott will not have much impact on Turkey’s economy Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD Business School, said, “Only 0.64% of Turkey’s exports go to India, and 3% of its imports come from India. Similarly, only 0.5% of Turkey’s tourists come from India. Therefore, boycotting trade and tourism will not have much impact on Turkey’s economy. Boycott’s impact on India: Apples and marble may become expensive India imports 70% of its total marble from Turkey, which is worth Rs 2,500-3,000 crore annually. At the same time, apple imports are worth Rs 1,000-1,200 crore annually. Due to the boycott, these products may become expensive for Indian consumers and businesses. Erdogan said – One of the best examples of true friendship between Turkey and Pakistan Despite the boycott, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Pakistan’s Prime Minister. Replying to Shahbaz Sharif on X, he called him ‘Precious Brother’ and showed support. He wrote- My Precious Brother, the brotherhood between Turkey and Pakistan, which is enjoyed by very few countries in the world, is one of the best examples of true friendship. We appreciate the sensible, patient policy of the Pakistani State, which prefers dialogue and compromise in resolving disputes. India had helped Turkey After the earthquake in southern Turkey on February 6, 2023, India launched a humanitarian mission called ‘Operation Dost’, which was one of the first foreign aid missions to reach Turkey. More than 250 trained personnel were sent to Turkey in six C-17 military aircraft with special equipment and relief material. They actively participated in rescue efforts and provided medical treatment including life-saving surgery. ————————— Read this news also… Indian tourists boycotting Turkey-Azerbaijan: Cancellations increased by 250% in 1 week on MakeMyTrip, Indians Last year, ?4,000 crores were spent. Amidst India-Pakistan tension, Indian tourists are boycotting Turkey and Azerbaijan. According to MakeMyTrip, in the last one week, cancellations of passengers going to Turkey-Azerbaijan have increased by 250%. Along with this, bookings have fallen by 60%. At the same time, cancellations have increased by 30% for Azerbaijan and 22% for Turkey. Actually, Turkey and Azerbaijan had openly criticized India’s Operation Sindoor. After this, Boycott Turkey and Boycott Azerbaijan were trending on social media in the past few days. Click here to read the full news… Turkey’s Celebi Aviation filed a case against the government: said – the reason for ending the security clearance is not clear, Turkey had supported Pakistan. Turkey’s ground handling company Celebi Aviation has challenged the Indian government’s decision to end the security clearance. In a legal petition filed in a Delhi court, the company Said that the reason given by the Indian Government behind cancelling the clearance is not clear. On Thursday, May 15, India’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) cancelled Celebi’s security clearance citing national security. Due to this, Celebi will have to immediately remove all ground handling facilities from India. Click here to read the full news…
