India’s generosity, Turkey’s betrayal: Erdogan’s shameful turn against a longstanding friend

For decades, India has shown nothing but goodwill towards the Turkish people — from humanitarian assistance in moments of crisis to gestures of solidarity that rose above politics and ideology. But today, as Recep Tayyip Erdogan brazenly aligns himself with Pakistan in a reckless propaganda campaign against India during a moment of heightened military conflict, New Delhi must confront an unpleasant truth: Turkey under Erdogan has chosen ingratitude over friendship, betrayal over brotherhood.

This is not a matter of diplomatic disagreement or divergent geopolitical interests. This is a question of values — and of memory. Because what India has done for Turkey, time and again, cannot be brushed aside by the cynical opportunism of Ankara’s current regime. And what Turkey is doing now — by becoming a willing tool in Pakistan’s anti-India disinformation war — is not just unfriendly, but malicious.

A History of Friendship and Assistance

India’s history with Turkey stretches back centuries through trade, scholarship, and shared civilizational links. But in modern times, especially since independence, India has gone out of its way to extend the hand of friendship to Turkey even when there was little to gain.

When Turkey faced one of the deadliest earthquakes in 1999 — the İzmit earthquake — India was among the first countries to rush aid and rescue teams. Indian disaster response units flew in, risking their lives to pull Turkish citizens out of the rubble. Tents, food, and medical supplies followed — not out of obligation, but out of a shared human spirit.

When Turkey faced another massive tragedy in 2011 — the Van earthquake — India once again provided generous financial aid and technical assistance. In 2023, following the devastating Kahramanmaraş earthquake that killed tens of thousands and left cities in ruins, the Modi government activated Operation Dost (Operation Friendship), deploying Indian Air Force aircraft loaded with relief material, medical supplies, and skilled NDRF teams. It was a heartfelt mission, driven by empathy, not diplomacy.

Indian doctors treated Turkish children. Indian engineers helped clear debris. India’s tricolor flew side-by-side with the Red Crescent as Turkish citizens applauded the brave men and women of India who came to help them, unasked, unpaid, unheralded.

Trade, Tourism, and Culture: India Invested in Ties

India has also quietly nurtured economic and cultural ties with Turkey. Indian companies have invested in Turkey’s infrastructure, technology, and manufacturing sectors. Cultural exchanges — including Bollywood’s rising popularity in Turkey — have helped foster people-to-people warmth.

Despite ideological differences under Erdogan’s Islamist-leaning AKP government, India never turned hostile. When Turkey was diplomatically isolated in Europe or faced domestic political turbulence, India did not exploit the moment. Instead, New Delhi maintained its dignified posture, focused on cooperation.

Erdogan’s Betrayal: An Unholy Alliance with Pakistan

And yet, despite all this, President Erdogan has emerged as one of the most vocal anti-India voices in the Islamic world — a role previously played by the likes of Zia-ul-Haq and Mahathir Mohamad. During the recent India-Pakistan military confrontation, Erdogan’s government did not just call for “restraint” — which would have been diplomatically acceptable. Instead, Ankara amplified Pakistan’s falsehoods, legitimized its baseless claims, and actively participated in the disinformation warfare against India.

Turkish state media — TRT World and Anadolu Agency — became echo chambers for Pakistani propaganda. Morphed images, fake casualty claims, and distorted narratives were repeatedly aired, portraying India as the aggressor, when in truth it was responding proportionately to an unprovoked terror attack.

Erdogan himself took to international forums to parrot Pakistan’s positions on Kashmir, even referring to the abrogation of Article 370 as an “injustice” — a deeply internal matter of India. This was not a slip. It was a calculated provocation, designed to burn bridges with India while cozying up to the Pakistani deep state and its global patrons.

Worse still, Turkey has reportedly offered covert cyber support and amplified social media campaigns run by ISI-backed fronts. Indian intelligence sources have flagged Turkish NGOs and think tanks that are collaborating with known anti-India networks, including pro-Khalistan outfits operating out of Canada and the UK.

This is no longer diplomacy. This is information warfare.

India’s Message to Erdogan: Enough is Enough

India is not a nation that forgets easily — not insults, and certainly not betrayal. Erdogan’s conduct has not gone unnoticed in New Delhi. The Indian government has already begun re-evaluating its diplomatic and economic engagement with Turkey. Turkish defense deals are under review. Strategic cooperation is being reassessed. Invitations to key Turkish officials are no longer guaranteed.

Let this be clear: India does not want enmity with Turkey. Our problem is not with the Turkish people — many of whom hold great admiration for Indian culture and values. Our problem is with Erdogan’s toxic ambition to play caliph, to position himself as a leader of the “Muslim world” by opposing India, regardless of truth or consequence.

India will not tolerate being vilified by those it has helped in times of need. Nor will it accept hypocritical lectures from a regime that brutally suppresses its own minorities, censors dissent, jails journalists, and has turned once-secular Turkey into a repressive autocracy.

A Wake-Up Call for the Indian Foreign Policy Establishment

Erdogan’s betrayal must serve as a wake-up call for Indian policymakers. Sentimentality in foreign relations has its place — but it cannot override strategic clarity. India must now deal with Turkey as it is, not as we wish it to be.

This means tighter scrutiny of Turkish entities operating in India. This means putting defense and tech cooperation on hold until Ankara mends its ways. This also means deepening strategic relations with Greece, Armenia, and Cyprus — nations that Erdogan has alienated with his imperial daydreams.

India must also work more closely with the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia — countries that have matured in their foreign policy and maintained respectful, even enthusiastic relations with India despite religious differences. Unlike Erdogan, these nations have not weaponized Islam against India’s domestic politics.

The Road Ahead

Turkey under Erdogan has chosen its side — and it is not the side of truth, peace, or gratitude. It is the side of Pakistan’s terror-sponsored narrative. It is the side of propaganda, deception, and discord.

India, meanwhile, will continue to rise — not by stooping to cheap theatrics, but through resolve, unity, and vision. But we will not forget. Just as we remember every friend who stood by us in tough times, we also remember those who chose to stab us in the back after accepting our help with folded hands.

History will record Erdogan’s betrayal. And history will also remember that India — dignified, generous, and powerful — will not be taken for granted again.