Here’s why Ilker Ayci turned down the top job at Air India

Iiker Ayci, former Chairman of Turkish Airlines

When Ilker Ayci,  the former Chairman of Turkish Airlines, turned down the offer to become the next chief executive officer and managing director of Air India, it was  clear he had seen the writing on the wall.

Ayci had been finalised for the post by the Tatas on February 14.

On Tuesday, in a statement announcing his decision, Ayci said: “Since the announcement I have been carefully following news in some sections of the Indian media attempting to colour my appointment with undesirable colours.”

He added that as a business leader who has always prioritised “professional credo” he had  come to the conclusion “that it will not be a feasible or an honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of such a narrative.”

He was due to take over on or before April 1 this year. Ayci’s appointment came months after the Tatas won the bid as the new owners of the Maharaja last October. Not long after, speculation began on why the Tatas were dragging their feet about appointing the top man.

Caught in geopolitical crossfire

Ayci’s appointment raised many eyebrows given the political equations between India and Turkey and because questions were raised about his selection to lead the airline when it passed to the Tatas.

“He  (Ayci) got trapped by interference of politics in his aviation business. Maybe he is a victim of that, maybe he used politics to speed up his career … now he learned that India is not Turkey and you better do your homework before applying for a sensitive job like CEO,” said Gustav Baldauf,  former Chief Operating Officer, Air India.

Ayci is said to be close to Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey has been supporting Pakistan at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and referring to the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, incurring the ire of the Indian government.

Pressure from RSS affiliate

There were  plenty of signals of opposition to his appointment, the most significant of which was from  RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM). Only a few days ago,  the SJM said that it was confident the government would not give Ayci the sanction and suggested that the “national carrier” should be controlled by a person of Indian origin.

Even before SJM raised its objections, there were reports that Ayci, as former Chairman of the Turkish investment support and promotion agency, promoted private investments and ventures by a former alleged Al Qaeda financier, according to confidential documents that came to light as part of an investigation by the Turkish anti-corruption court.

Several former secretaries to the government had been saying privately that since Ayci was appointed Air India’s CEO,  there was no way he would  get security clearance, a must for any foreigner to take up a job in India.

Shoutout from Turkish pilots

There were others who reacted as well. Soon  after Ayci’s announcement was made public, Turkish pilots took to Twitter to say: “Dear@PilotsIndian colleagues. Please don’t let your new @airindian CEO to handle any union matters. He is highly skilled to manipulate, to divide and to conquer.”

At the moment the existing board directors and some Tata officials are in charge of Air India.

Another person from an international airline went to the extent of saying that  if someone from Tata Sons had spoken to him, he  would have outlined all the reasons why Ayci was not the right person for the job.

Analysts and industry watchers say that Ayci has managed to save face by turning down the job. “When the political opposition to his appointment became clear, it is not surprising he walked. He is smart, Tata was not it seems,” an industry professional with over three decades of experience said.

Added another: “Ayci’s decision was  honourable. He has saved himself and the Tatas embarrassment had the government  not cleared his appointment from the security angle. By doing so he has also won the sympathy  of many.”

The Tatas now have to go back to the drawing board to find another CEO, a process not likely to be completed in a hurry, even as Air India waits to recover its old glory.