Calls for boycotting Turkey and divesting any Indian ties have taken centre stage after the Middle East country expressed its outright pro-Pakistan stance. In addition to #BoycottTurkey doing numbers on social media, ANI also reported of a “Ban Turkey” movement finding its footing across the country.

Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Hakan Fidan’s message of solidarity with Pakistan against India’s Operation Sindoor left little to the imagination, and our warring neighbour boasted about the same on X earlier this month. “FM of Türkiye @HakanFidan called DPM/FM @MIshaqDar50 to express Türkiye’s solidarity with Pakistan against India’s unprovoked aggression violating Pakistan’s sovereignty and killing innocent civilians. He expressed concern over the deteriorating regional security situation. Both leaders agreed to remain in close coordination on the evolving situation,” tweeted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan.

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Social media raises alarms for Turkey boycott

Soon after Pakistan announced Turkey being in its corner, the latter’s Department of Tourism shared official word on how the vast majority of the local population was unaware of the India-Pakistan conflict. “It has no bearing on daily life or the tourism environment here,” Turkish capital Ankara dusted any responsibility off its shoulder. The formal notice went as far as welcoming Indian travellers, stating that there was no reason to postpone or cancel any trips bound for Turkey despite the current situation. “All travel operations continue as planned, and there are no restrictions or safety issues affecting Indian guests,” Ankara’s tourism department added.

An account called BhartiyNiveshak eventually shared the official notice on X alongside the message that Turkey’s pro-Pak stance was already enough of a red flag to repel Indian travellers. Plugging the hashtag Boycott Turkey, the account wrote, “…must understand that vast majority of Turkish people not being aware that Turkey is giving weapons to terrorist Pakistan to attack India is bigger issue and while they don’t know as per you but you certainly know. Terrorism and tourism won’t go together.”

Local market traders reveal customer sentiment: Say not to Turkish apples

Meanwhile, Pune traders have launched their decisive action against the Turkey by boycotting apple imports. As citizens are on the lookout for other apple sources, Turkish counterparts seemed to have vanished from the local markets, as per ANI. Turkish apples weigh as heavy as a seasonal turnover of Rs 1,000 to 1,200 crores, thereby finding themselves at the centre of attention in the city’s fruit market. Nonetheless, the local Pune market scene has collectively turned its back on the consequential Turkish imports.

“We have decided to stop purchasing apples from Turkey and are instead opting for produce from Himachal, Uttarakhand, Iran, and other regions,” Suyog Zende, an apple merchant at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market in Pune confirmed. “This decision aligns with our patriotic duty and support for the nation.”

Yet another fruit trader revealed the market’s outlook towards a country that opted to side “against us”: “Customers are actively avoiding Turkish produce, reinforcing the ban at the retail level.”

Congress leader pushes for Turkish import ban

Congress leader Kuldeep Singh Rathore (Himachal Pradesh) joined the public in escalating the focussed opposition targeting Turkey. Calling for an immediate ban on Turkish imports, he accused the country of diplomatic betrayal, especially when India extended a helping arm out to the Middle East nation during the 2023 earthquake under ‘Operation Dost.’

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“I strongly demand that India immediately ban the import of apples and other good from Turkey. Our countrymen must also boycott Turkish products and tourism. We cannot allow any nation to enjoy our goodwill while arming those who threaten our national security,” Rathore argued.

Turkey tourism already impacted for the worse

Despite Turkey’s continued tourism promotions, travel agents in India have spotlighted a general sentiment of disappointment prevailing in all talks related to the country. Sandeep Khetarpal, founder of Zotrav, a B2B marketplace for travel agents, indicated “a sharp decline in interest for Turkey as a travel destination with nearly 80% of bookings either cancelled or postponed,” as per TTG Asia. He further informed that even though India used to be among the top source markets for Turkey, “with a 20.7 per cent year-on-year increase in Indian visitors in 2024 as compared to 2023,” the current scenario has entirely flipped over.

Similarly, Aman Baweja, director, strategic alliances and partnerships, Travomint, shifted the spotlight to Indian travellers’ sentiments being badly hurt. “here are some business trips still happening but the leisure demand is almost zero. In the short run, we see demand impacted across all segments, whether leisure, MICE or weddings. Destinations like South-east Asia and Europe will benefit from the decline in demand for Turkey,” he noted.