

gorbysin1
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@gorbysin
Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit et artes intulit agresti Latiο. instagram/gorbysin1





















Relations between India and Turkiye over last 75 years have been informed by calculated indifference and externally influenced. Turkiye was a frontline NATO state and India was a nonaligned leading light. But still, Indians helped Turkiye during the Balkan Wars and even contributed money for construction of Türkiye’s parliament building. There are some secular political leaders and academics who respect India’s democratic traditions and pluralism. Turkiye was also part of CENTO and ECO. The Turkish society, even while under comparatively secular regimes, has been generally conservative in faith and xenophobic in racial terms. That has historically been problematic. The Kurds, the Alevis and the Armenians have all had to suffer massive atrocities at the hand of Turks; a community that wants Turkiye to look like marble and not mosaic. India’s problems with Turkiye were not because of any conflict of interest directly. Rather mechanically, Turkiye has always supported Pakistan in conflicts with India - politically, diplomatically and militarily. After Erdogan ascended to power, Turkish policy towards India has assumed a sharper hostile edge. Türkiye has supplied, and is committed to supply, major weapon systems to Pakistan. Members of all services have been carrying out joint training at each other’s training establishments. Erdogan very provocatively raises Kashmir issue in various fora and Türkiye is a long standing member of contact group on Kashmir at OIC. India’s diplomatic support to Cyprus after it was invaded and part occupied by Türkiye in 1974, was informed both: by Türkiye’s consistent support to Pakistan against India and ideology of non-aggression followed by India. We have had some brilliant diplomats heading our mission in Ankara. From time to time, there appeared a hope that the bilateral relations will eventually become friendly. The economic relations thankfully always stood compartmentalised and have grown steadily. Same cannot be said of the military, political and diplomatic sides of the relationship. With Türkiye leaning more and more openly towards Pakistan (perhaps in the belief that Pakistan will help it acquire nuclear weapon capability if other state(s) in the Middle East go nuclear), and reported assistance of state linked Turkish organisations to anti-national elements in India, the latter has also started reciprocating. India has started exporting defence hardware to Armenia and Cyprus. The quantity and the variety is expected to grow further and may include Brahmos cruise missiles that are highly rated globally. Reports have started appearing on social media that Türkiye is getting worried about this development. But they must realise that India has tolerated Türkiye’s hostility for long. Türkiye perhaps believed that India’s historical record of not interfering beyond its immediate neighbourhood will continue to hold good despite serious and persistent provocations. Türkiye needs to feel the heat. Considering Erdogan’s ambitions to expand Turkish influence across the Islamic countries in Asia, Africa and Europe through trade, diplomacy and arms sales, it is not expected that he will change course to make friends with India. His ego and desire to become a modern sultan has already created tensions with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and with the UAE.Türkiye is at loggerheads with Israel and Russia barely tolerates it. It should not have persisted with overt and covert hostility towards India. Now that it has crossed the threshold limit of India’s tolerance the latter is fully justified in helping smaller countries constantly bullied by Türkiye. It has no one but itself to blame. @KanwalSibal @AadiAchint @GautamMoorthy


