After the terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated significantly. Turkey's defense ties with Pakistan are under discussion amidst this war-like situation. This past Sunday, the Turkish naval warship TCC BUKUKADA docked at Karachi port and will remain there until May 7. The vessel's arrival followed a meeting between Turkish Ambassador Dr. İrfan Neziroğlu and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during which Turkey showed its solidarity with Pakistan.
The Pakistani military claims that the warship visit aims to deepen maritime cooperation between the two nations. However, questions are being raised about the timing of the warship's arrival in Pakistan.
TCC BUKUKADA was commissioned in 2013 as part of Turkey's MİLGEM National Warship Program. The ship is designed for surface warfare, anti-submarine operations, and patrol missions, equipped with advanced radar systems, a 76 mm naval gun, anti-ship missiles, and torpedo launchers.
Before this, a Turkish C-130 aircraft landed in Karachi. Pakistani media claimed the aircraft contained combat weapons, but Turkey's Ministry of Defense dismissed these claims, stating that the aircraft was in Karachi for refueling and not for weapon supply to Pakistan.
'India Nourishes the Snake First and Then...'
Although Turkey denied supplying weapons to Pakistan, its defense support amid rising tensions raises many questions.
Sushant Sareen, a Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), expressed disappointment at India's cooperation with Turkey, given recent developments.
In a social media post, he stated, 'India is not a serious country. We first nourish the snake, then wonder why it bit us. We empower our enemies and mistreat our friends. We delude ourselves into believing that countries like Turkey will abandon their hostility. They take advantage of us and then openly betray us.'
Source: aajtak
Regarding Turkey's support for Pakistan amidst India-Pakistan tensions, foreign affairs expert and founder of The Imagindia Institute in New Delhi, Robinder Sachdeva, states that Turkey's actions are driven by economic and geopolitical interests. Turkish Islamist leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raises the Kashmir issue prominently to establish himself as a leader of the Muslim world.
In a conversation with a news portal, he commented, 'Firstly, in the Islamic world, Turkey wants to play a significant role. It raises the Kashmir issue globally and within the Muslim world in collaboration with Pakistan. Additionally, India’s plan to create a Europe-Middle East Corridor (IMEC) with Greece as a landing point, makes Turkey help Pakistan more due to strained relations between Greece and Turkey, similar to India and Pakistan.'
Turkey Supplied Drones to Pakistan, Refused India
In 2022, Turkey sold Bayraktar TB2 drones to Pakistan. In 2023, drone manufacturer Baykar Technologies signed an agreement to jointly develop these drones with Pakistan's National Aerospace Science and Technology Park.
While Turkey agreed to develop drones with Pakistan, it refused to sell them to India. Baykar Technology's CEO stated in 2022 that their company would not sell these drones to India but would give them to friendly countries like Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones have performed gloriously in battlefields, providing strategic advantages.
Source: aajtak
Robinder Sachdeva notes that Pakistan is currently under the threat of war and struggling to obtain sufficient weapons for its military. Pakistan depends heavily on China, purchasing 81% of its defense weapons from them, but also buys a significant amount from Turkey, and now seeks more defense agreements with Turkey to acquire weapons for profit.
Despite Billions in Trade, Why Does Erdoğan Support Pakistan Over India?
In 2024, bilateral trade between India and Turkey was valued at $10.4 billion, with India selling $6.66 billion worth of goods to Turkey and purchasing $3.78 billion worth from Turkey.
In contrast, Turkey and Pakistan's bilateral trade amounted to only $1.4 billion in 2024. The figures clearly show that, in terms of trade, Pakistan pales in comparison to India. Despite having a significant trade partnership, why is Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan supporting Pakistan over India?
In response, Robinder Sachdeva explains, 'Where is our economy and where is Pakistan's... Our companies are also investing in Turkey. But Erdoğan's support for Pakistan strategically and politically is a choice disregarding trade implications. He aims to align with the EU, the US, China, and the Arab world, but doesn't have such plans regarding India.'
How should India respond in such a scenario? Robinder Sachdeva suggests, 'Firstly, we should initiate an international boycott campaign against Pakistan and urge countries to stop buying its goods or investing there. We should also pressure Turkey to do so, and if it doesn’t, we should immediately halt defense weapon purchases from Turkey, and cease ongoing defense agreement discussions. We should also ban Turkish defense companies.'
In terms of India-Turkey defense trade, according to Trading Economics, in 2024, India purchased weapons worth $353,000 from Turkey, including bombs, grenades, missiles, and other arms.
Turkey’s Consistent Support for Pakistan on the Kashmir Issue
On the day of the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in Turkey, discussing the Kashmir issue. During a joint press conference with Turkish President Erdoğan, the Pakistani PM thanked Turkey for its support on the Kashmir issue.
Earlier in February, Turkish President Erdoğan visited Pakistan, expressing support for Pakistan's efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue. He stated that the Kashmir issue could be resolved through discussions that align with UN resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people. Erdoğan emphasized Turkey’s solidarity with their Kashmiri brothers, consistently supporting them.
Source: aajtak
Previously, in 2020, during a speech in Pakistan's parliament, President Erdoğan supported Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.
Commenting on Turkey's support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, Robinder Sachdeva states, 'It is unfortunate that we still maintain normal friendship with Turkey, even as it works against us. The primary reason is that Erdoğan positions himself as the leader of the Islamic world, competing with Saudi Arabia. Turkey seeks to present itself as a champion of the Kashmir issue worldwide.'
How Much Support Can Turkey Provide Pakistan Amid Its Own Domestic Instability?
As Erdoğan attempts to help Pakistan, he faces domestic instability. Popular opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu was imprisoned on corruption charges, sparking protests across Turkey against Erdoğan. High inflation and unemployment further strain Turkey. If a conflict arises between India and Pakistan, how much help could Turkey provide to Pakistan?
Robinder Sachdeva suggests, 'There are two aspects- the domestic political instability in Turkey drives Erdoğan to increase anti-India and pro-Kashmir sentiments to garner emotional support from his people. Erdoğan relies more on the opposition to align against India. Secondly, if Pakistan buys weapons from Turkey, Turkey benefits economically. Any conflict would bolster Turkey's economy as Pakistan purchases more arms and munitions.'
