Expert Explains: What plagues India-Turkey relations, and why a reset may be of common interest
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Context
India and Turkey recently held their 12th round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi, marking the first high-level diplomatic dialogue since ties froze in 2025. The freeze was primarily triggered by Turkey's vocal support for Pakistan during India's military campaign against cross-border terror camps. The current diplomatic reset signals a mutual recognition that prolonged isolation is detrimental to both nations' economic and strategic interests in a multipolar world.
UPSC Perspectives
Geopolitical & Diplomatic
India and Turkey's bilateral ties have historically been overshadowed by the 'Pakistan factor,' particularly Ankara's criticism of India's abrogation of [Article 370] (which removed Jammu and Kashmir's special status). Turkey's unequivocal support for Pakistan during military crises, including the 2025 [Operation Sindoor] (India's military response to a terror attack in Pahalgam), led to a major diplomatic freeze. In retaliation, India has historically utilized its ties with the divided island of Cyprus to counter Turkish claims in the Eastern Mediterranean. Despite this friction, Turkey's transition from a strict alignment with the [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] toward a strategy of multi-alignment (building ties with multiple competing global powers) makes it a pivotal player. From a UPSC perspective, this illustrates the complex challenge of de-hyphenation (treating bilateral relations independently of third-party disputes) in modern diplomacy.
Economic & Strategic Connectivity
The recent diplomatic freeze demonstrated that purely trade-centric relations cannot shield a bilateral partnership against severe political crises. However, the recent signing of the 2026 India-EU Free Trade Agreement gives Turkey a compelling economic incentive to re-engage with New Delhi. Because Turkey is in a customs union (an agreement to maintain common external tariffs) with the [European Union], Indian goods will enter Turkey duty-free, but Turkish goods will not enjoy reciprocal access in India unless a separate bilateral pact is established. Additionally, with the [India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor] facing delays due to ongoing regional conflicts, Turkey is actively promoting its own alternative Development Corridor connecting the UAE, Iraq, and Europe. UPSC candidates must understand how connectivity infrastructure and tariff asymmetries act as both diplomatic leverage and structural drivers for reconciliation.
Regional Security & Balancing
The Middle East remains vital for India's energy security and its large expatriate diaspora. The ongoing geopolitical volatility involving Israel and Iran requires India to maintain a delicate diplomatic balancing act across the region. Interestingly, Turkey has actively moved away from its past ideological rigidities, successfully mending ties with regional rivals like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE to position itself as a pragmatic mediator. For India, which has largely avoided high-level state visits to Ankara except for the 2015 [G20] summit, engaging a re-calibrated Turkey is crucial. The dialogue is not merely about bilateral trade, but about ensuring broader stability across West Asia and securing reliable alternative trade routes to European markets. This convergence of interests in the Gulf and Central Asia underscores why returning to the negotiating table is a strategic necessity.