From apples to airports: India boycotts Türkiye, Azerbaijan over Pakistan support Article by India.com

The web portal titled India.com has published an article on the Indian traders' decision to completely boycott Türkiye and Azerbaijan due to their support for Pakistan in a recent military conflict with India. Caliber.Az reprints the article with minor modifications.

In a major move reflecting the growing sentiments, the Indian traders on May 16 announced a complete boycott of Türkiye and Azerbaijan, citing their support for Pakistan during the recent military conflict with India. 

Earlier on May 19, business leaders from over 24 Indian states gathered in Delhi to take a final call on the issue. 

“A collective decision has been taken in the conference of trade leaders today to end all trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan… The reason is clear. Turkey and Azerbaijan openly supported Pakistan against India… Any import and export will not happen with Turkey and Azerbaijan with immediate effect,” BJP MP and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal told the media following the meeting.

To recall, Türkiye and Azerbaijan openly supported Islamabad in the Pakistan-India conflict, which led to a nationwide movement in India calling for a boycott of the two states. 

Major steps taken to boycott

EaseMyTrip and Ixigo have issued advisories urging people to avoid travelling to Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The companies have cited political tensions and security concerns.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has suspended its academic agreement with Türkiye’s Inonu University, citing national security concerns. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has also ended its academic ties.

Traders in Pune have decided to stop importing apples from Türkiye. Instead, they are sourcing apples from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Iran, and other regions.

The Udaipur Marble Processors Association has urged the government to ban marble imports from Türkiye.

Traders in Kanpur have cancelled 80 per cent of their orders, while Jaipur-based businesses have halted orders worth crores of rupees.

Adani Airport Holdings has terminated its partnership with the Turkish firm Celebi, which provided ground handling services at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Leading e-commerce platforms like Myntra and Reliance-owned Ajio have stopped selling products made in Türkiye.

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), India imported approximately $92.8 million worth of apples from Türkiye in 2023. Traders in Pune have decided to stop buying apples from Türkiye. 

Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD Business School, said, “Only 0.64 per cent of Turkey’s exports go to India, and 3 percent of its imports come from India. Similarly, only 0.5 per cent of Turkey’s tourists come from India. Therefore, a boycott in terms of trade and tourism will not have a significant impact on Turkey’s economy.”