India Slams Turkey For Backing Pak, Urges Action Against Cross-Border Terrorism: 'Relations Are Built On...'

In a firm statement directed at Turkey over its recent backing of Pakistan, the Government of India on Thursday said that New Delhi expects Ankara to encourage Islamabad to tackle the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from its soil.

India also urged Turkey to discourage Pakistan from utilising terrorism as a tool of state policy and to take "credible and verifiable" steps against the terror infrastructure that has been cultivated for decades by both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Photo Credit: PTI

With relations between India and Turkey strained following Ankara's perceived support for Pakistan after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi underlined that ties between nations must be grounded in mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's core concerns.

"We expect Turkey to strongly urge Pakistan to end its support to cross-border terrorism and take credible and verifiable actions against the terror ecosystem it has harboured for decades. Relations are built on the basis of sensitivities to each other's concerns," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during the ministry's weekly press briefing.

Turkey's involvement in Pakistan's escalatory actions against India - triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack - came under the spotlight during India's Operation Sindoor response.

In addition to ideological and diplomatic support, Turkey reportedly provided Pakistan with arms and weapons.

According to the Indian government, between 300 and 400 drones used by Pakistan during the military escalation were supplied primarily by Turkey.

These drones targeted both military and civilian infrastructure across India, and were used to breach Indian airspace at 36 different locations, stretching from Leh in Ladakh to Sir Creek in Gujarat.

Furthermore, Turkey expressed solidarity with Pakistan after India eliminated more than 100 terrorists in targeted missile strikes on terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Despite this, Turkey did not condemn the Pahalgam terror attack, which was perpetrated by terrorists linked to The Resistance Front - a proxy of the UN-proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Turkey has long supported Pakistan's narrative on Jammu and Kashmir and has backed its unlawful occupation of Indian territory in the region.

During Operation Sindoor, Ankara also engaged in military signalling by dispatching a warship to Karachi Port, referring to it as a "routine port call."

Additionally, reports indicated that Turkish military aircraft delivered arms and munitions to Pakistan, though Turkey has denied these claims, insisting the aircraft landed merely for refuelling.

In a message of support, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stating: "I pray for Allah's mercy for our brothers who lost their lives in the attacks, and I extend my condolences to the brotherly people and state of Pakistan."