Indian govt skips Turkey’s National Day amid frosty ties

The Indian government on Wednesday skipped Turkey's National Day reception in New Delhi amid ties chilled by Ankara’s support for Pakistan during the April-May conflict. Delhi, Ankara ties remain tense after the April/May conflict between India, Pakistan. The conflict started after the Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-trained terrorists, followed by India's counter-terror operation, Operation Sindoor. During India's operation Sindoor, Turkiye was seen backing Islamabad diplomatically, and militarily-Delhi pointed to the use of Turkish drones by the Pakistani military to attack India. Turkish President Erdogan raising Kashmir, duringthe UNGA, has also not gone down well with Delhi.

At the embassy event, Turkish Ambassador Ali Murat Ersoy struck a conciliatory tone, calling India “one of the most important countries of the world.” Though the nations are “geographically distant,” he said, they “share deep historical and cultural ties.” “For centuries, our civilizations have exchanged ideas, goods and traditions shaping each other in profound ways in a world facing complex challenges,” Ersoy noted, adding that “this historical foundation… provides a powerful starting point for a stronger partnership.”

Typically, Indian government representatives are present at such ceremonies as part of diplomatic protocol. The rank of the representative signals the state of ties. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has graced some events in the past. Wednesday’s absence spoke volumes.

Ersoy remained upbeat, saying that the “potential of the relationship far outweighs the current level of engagement, we must and will continue to work on it.” As “key players in our respective regions, we can work together to promote connectivity, stability and peace by aligning our efforts on global issues, we can amplify our voices and contribute to a more secure and sustainable world.” Quoting Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali, he invoked a “mind without fear and the head held high,” describing it as “this… shared spirit of our people, a demand for dignity, for courage and for a future built on mutual respect.”

Ersoy acknowledged global turbulence: “The world is changing, yet this progress is not a simple linear march toward a better future. The very technologies that unite us also amplify division and disinformation, while some societies try; others are left behind, grappling with persistent inequality, conflict and erosion of democratic norms.” He insisted that “nations like Turkey and India are positioned to make truly vital contributions, when we work together… that contribution will not be just great, but transformation.”

Recalling his first Diwali, Ersoy said the festival’s “central theme… is the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair.”