'Relationship built on sensitivities': India warns Turkey over Pak ties

India asked Turkey to press Pakistan on terrorism and warned that bilateral ties must be built on mutual sensitivities amid tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack

India on Thursday issued a strong message to Turkey, urging Ankara to press Islamabad to take credible and verifiable action against cross-border terrorism emanating from its territory.

 

Speaking at the weekly media briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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. Relations are built on the basis of sensitivities to each other's concerns.”

 

The statement comes amid heightened tensions between India and Turkey following Ankara’s support for Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. India reiterated that bilateral ties must be founded on mutual respect and sensitivity to each nation’s core concerns.

 

India's concerns with Turkey's support to Pakistan 

India also called on Turkey to dissuade Pakistan from using terrorism as an instrument of state policy, and to act against terror networks nurtured by Islamabad and Rawalpindi over several decades.

 

As revealed during Operation Sindoor, India said Turkey had supplied 300 to 400 drones to Pakistan. These were allegedly used during recent escalations to target military and civilian sites across India's western border—from Leh in Ladakh to Sir Creek in Gujarat—spanning 36 locations, according to the government.

 

Turkey continued to back Pakistan after India launched precision airstrikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the Pahalgam attack. Over 100 terrorists were reportedly eliminated in those operations. Ankara did not condemn the Pahalgam terror strike, which was linked to The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the UN-banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 

Kashmir, Karachi port calls, and rising friction 

India has also taken note of Turkey’s repeated support for Pakistan’s claims over Jammu and Kashmir, including statements at international forums echoing Islamabad’s position.

 

During Operation Sindoor, Turkey sent a warship to Karachi Port, which it termed a “routine port call.” Additionally, military aircraft reportedly carrying weapons landed in Pakistan. Turkey has denied these claims, stating the aircraft stopped only for refuelling.