India boycott Turkey: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised the Kerala government for its 2023 decision to send Rs 10 crore in aid to Turkey following a devastating earthquake, suggesting the funds could have been better used locally—particularly in Wayanad, a district he represents.

“Misplaced generosity,” says Tharoor

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor shared a news article from NDTV reporting on Kerala’s earthquake relief grant to Turkey, and wrote, “I hope the Govt of Kerala reflects on its misplaced generosity, after seeing Turkey’s behaviour two years later! Not to mention that the people of Wayanad (just to take one Kerala example) could have used those ten crores far better.”

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The Thiruvananthapuram MP’s remarks come amid a sharp decline in diplomatic ties between India and Turkey following Ankara’s open support for Pakistan during recent border tension.

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Turkey’s support for Pakistan

Relations between India and Turkey have soured significantly after Turkey backed Pakistan during India’s military Operation Sindoor. The operation was launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives.

Turkey provided weapons to Islamabad during the conflict, further straining ties with New Delhi. In response, the Indian government revoked the operating clearance of Turkish aviation firm Celebi at Indian airports. Several Indian trade associations have also urged a complete boycott of Turkish goods and services.

Turkey earthquake aid

Two years ago, Kerala’s Finance Minister K N Balagopal had defended the Rs 10 crore donation to Turkey, saying it was a humanitarian gesture following a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands and left lakhs homeless.

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“The earthquake in Turkiye, which had shocked the consciousness of the world, claimed tens of thousands of lives and left lakhs of people destitute,” Balagopal stated in the state budget presented on February 8, 2023.