Indian tourists should avoid visiting Turkey, though no advisory is likely, say government sources

There is no official travel advisory restricting movement to Turkey, but the cautionary remark from government officials emphasise the public sentiment and trade relations.

Indian tourists should consider avoiding travel to Turkey, as there are concerns that the revenue from tourism generated by Istanbul are indirectly supporting arms transfers to Pakistan, though no formal directive will be issued, government sources said on May 23.

“Tourists should avoid going to Turkey. The money spent by tourists is being used to give arms to Pakistan. Traders are also doing their bit to cut off ties with Turkey, but no government directive will come in this regard,” sources said.

The statement captures heightened sensitivities in India over geopolitical alignments and alleged links between Ankara and Islamabad, particularly in the domain of defence and strategic cooperation.

There is no official travel advisory restricting movement to Turkey, but the cautionary remark from government officials emphasize the public sentiment and trade relations. Some trade associations including Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) have taken independent steps to reduce engagement with Turkish entities, in light of these concerns.

In its weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said on May 22, “We expect Turkey to strongly urge Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism and take credible and verifiable actions against the terror ecosystem it has harboured for decades."

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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan expressed public solidarity with Pakistan, after Indian Armed Forces carried out military strikes on terror hubs and military sites in Pakistan, following the dastardly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

Several Indian enterprises have removed Turkish brands from their websites in recent days. In 2023, bilateral trade between India and Turkey stood at around $12 billion, with Turkey enjoying a trade surplus.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his support to “brotherly" Islamabad, stating that Ankara would “continue to stand by your side through both good times and bad".