Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan is being hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul for high-level discussions centered on bilateral ties, regional security, and counterterrorism initiatives amid the growing diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey.
Ankara’s overt support for Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, especially after Operation Sindoor—India’s counter-terror mission launched in response to a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir—triggered India’s nationwide boycott of Turkish goods and services, which is where this meeting is taking place.
The diplomatic distance between Ankara and New Delhi has grown considerably as a result of Turkey being the only country in West Asia to officially support Pakistan and openly condemn India’s military intervention. According to reports, Turkish assistance includes sending more than 350 military drones to Pakistan and sending agents to help Pakistani soldiers during the escalation—actions that India has strongly objected to.
Furthermore, a Turkish C-130 Hercules plane landed with what were reportedly military supplies, and a Turkish Ada-class anti-submarine corvette docked at Karachi harbor, indicating a Turkish military presence in Pakistan. Several accounts verify that Pakistan used Songar drones manufactured in Turkey throughout the conflict, despite Turkey’s insistence that they were normal deployments.
India has responded quickly and in a variety of ways. Strong diplomatic objections have been made by the government, security clearances for Turkish companies have been revoked, and a broad boycott of Turkish goods and services has been launched, which includes a suspension of marble imports and a sharp decline in travel and airline connections.
The economic impact is anticipated to be severe for Turkey’s already weak economy, which is struggling with rising inflation, currency depreciation, and dwindling foreign investment. Indian travel platforms have recorded a 250% increase in cancellations and a 60% reduction in reservations to Turkey. With demands to terminate alliances between Indian and Turkish airlines and the termination of significant contracts, the boycott is also having an impact on trade, education, and aviation.
Deep historical and ideological links underpin the relationship between Turkey and Pakistan, which has been strengthened since Erdogan came to office in 2003. Both nations have a cooperation based on a common Islamic identity and have sided against secular Arab rulers and supported political Islam.
Erdogan has made more than 10 trips to Pakistan, most recently serving as co-chair of the 7th High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in February 2025, demonstrating how strategically significant Ankara views its partnership with Islamabad. By fortifying its axis with Pakistan and other non-Gulf countries, Turkey hopes to counterbalance Gulf Arab domination in the Muslim world and increase its influence in South Asia and beyond.
The meeting between Erdogan and Sharif in Istanbul is representative of the changing geopolitical environment in South and West Asia, which is characterized by a strengthening of India-Turkey ties and a strengthening of defense cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey. Unless Ankara changes its position on the India-Pakistan dispute, the current Indian embargo is expected to worsen Turkey’s economic problems and solidify the diplomatic impasse, with little chance of reconciliation in the near future.
