The Ankara-Islamabad Tango
In the simmering July heat of Islamabad, the red carpet was rolled out for two high-profile visitors from Turkiye, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasar Güler. The optics were unmistakably grand: full military honours, ceremonial receptions, and warm embraces. But beneath the pageantry lay a narrative rich in strategic undertones. This was not merely a diplomatic courtesy call; it was a calibrated signal to the region, and perhaps, specifically to India.
For India, watching from across the Thar, the Turkish-Pakistani tango is not new. But what makes this latest high-level engagement more noteworthy is its timing, tone, and texture. In the shifting sands of Eurasian geopolitics, alliances are being reimagined, and Turkiye’s embrace of Pakistan offers more than ceremonial friendship, it carries layers of strategic posturing that New Delhi cannot afford to ignore.
A Brotherhood Reforged in Doctrine and Defence
Both Turkiye and Pakistan have long defined their friendship as rooted in a shared Islamic identity and solidarity. But what is emerging now is a more operational partnership: one that includes defence technology transfer, joint military exercises, and intelligence sharing. The visit by Turkiye’s top foreign and defence officials marks a new level of institutional alignment.
During the meetings in Islamabad, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding defence collaboration. Already, Turkiye has sold attack helicopters (T129 ATAK), corvettes (under the MILGEM programme), and UAV technology to Pakistan. Turkiye is reportedly also helping Pakistan develop indigenous drone capabilities through joint research platforms. These are not trivial transactions; they shape the battlefield balance in South Asia.
And it is not just hardware. There’s talk of joint training modules between the Turkish and Pakistani military academies, naval exercises in the Arabian Sea, and growing cooperation in cybersecurity, an area where both nations seek to modernise rapidly. In short, this is defence diplomacy with a future outlook, not just symbolic affinity.
Geopolitical Cartography: Reading the Map with Indian Eyes
India must assess this growing camaraderie not in isolation, but as part of a wider strategic geometry. Turkiye under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repositioned itself as an assertive mid-tier power seeking influence from the Mediterranean to Central Asia, from the Caucasus to the Indian Ocean.
Pakistan, meanwhile, is perennially in search of strategic depth and external support, particularly in the wake of growing economic instability and diplomatic marginalisation in South Asia.
What brings these two together is a shared ambition: to balance or counter Indian regional influence.
Turkiye’s consistent and vocal support of Pakistan on Kashmir, particularly in international forums like the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has irked New Delhi. Erdoğan’s comparison of Kashmir with Palestine during his UNGA address in 2019 still lingers in Indian diplomatic memory.
But beyond rhetoric, the growing Turkish footprint in South Asia, in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and even segments of Sri Lanka, signals a quiet pivot towards influencing the region’s Muslim-majority corridors. For India, this could mean facing a parallel diplomatic front, not unlike the one it confronts with China and Pakistan, but with a soft power twist.
Drones, Doctrine, and the Battle of Narratives
Turkiye’s most prominent export over the past five years has not been textile or tourism, it’s drones. The Bayraktar TB2 drone, famed for its impact in conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine, has become a global brand of Turkish military innovation. Pakistan has been keen to acquire this capability to augment its own drone arsenal, especially in the context of border surveillance and hybrid warfare in regions like Balochistan and PoJK.
Should these drones be deployed in contested spaces near India, it will not just alter tactical realities but also impact strategic deterrence calculations. India’s surveillance and counter-drone programs must adapt in anticipation of this evolution.
Simultaneously, Turkiye has emerged as a central node in promoting Islamic nationalism with a modernist coat. Its investment in religious seminaries, media networks, and social outreach in Pakistan aims at shaping ideological narratives. This ‘narrative warfare’, rooted in pan-Islamic unity, is a subtle but potent instrument of influence. India, as a secular democratic republic with a multi-faith ethos, must therefore counter not just the hardware shift, but the soft ideological encroachment that can influence minds, both within and beyond its borders.
When the Drones Came: Deepinder’s Moment of Reckoning
Among those who felt the ripple effects of this silent war was Deepinder Kaur, a healthcare professional from Chandigarh. One late evening, as she was busy with her work, an unexplained blackout plunged her lab into tense uncertainty. “At first, we thought it was a routine power issue,” she says, “but the stillness outside was eerie, too deliberate.” It was only days later that the truth emerged: suspected Turkish-made drones, operated from across the border, had been detected near Punjab’s skies. “It was surreal,” Deepinder recalls. “Just a year ago, I had walked the streets of Istanbul, marvelled at its mosques, studied its healing traditions. I admired Türkiye for its civilisational richness. But now, that same nation’s technology was flying over my homeland, threatening innocent lives.”
The realisation struck deep. “I felt betrayed, as if my admiration and money had gone to fund machines designed to harm my own people.” In that moment, Deepinder made a quiet vow: never again would she visit Türkiye. “It’s not rage,” she says. “It’s conscience. I cannot, in good faith, support a country that enables our adversaries.” Her story is not about foreign policy, it’s about a citizen waking up to the real cost of geopolitics.
A Growing Chorus of Quiet Resolve
Deepinder’s internal reckoning is now finding resonance across India. From students and entrepreneurs to travellers and influencers, there is a mounting awareness that global alignments are no longer abstract, they are deeply personal. The admiration once held for Türkiye’s cultural exports is increasingly being tempered by concern over its growing defence ties with Pakistan and its persistent meddling in India’s internal affairs. In social circles and digital platforms, quiet debates have begun: Should tourism be a tool of protest? Should cultural ties be re-evaluated in the face of security threats?
Hashtag “BoycottTurkiye” is real.
While there is no state policy calling for a boycott, a subtle shift in public sentiment is unmistakable. For a new generation of Indians, national interest is no longer confined to Parliament or the Prime Minister’s Office, it begins at the level of personal choice. Türkiye may continue to deepen its partnership with Pakistan, but in doing so, it risks alienating millions of Indian citizens who once saw it as a window to the West Asian world. In their silent decisions, in their unspoken disapproval, lies the true weight of modern geopolitics, measured not in treaties, but in trust.
