India on Thursday made a strong diplomatic appeal to Turkey and China, urging them to press Pakistan to halt its long-standing support for cross-border terrorism. This comes in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, which reignited concerns over Turkey’s growing strategic ties with Islamabad.
India Cites Pahalgam Attack, Calls for Accountability
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated India’s concerns during its weekly briefing. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “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.”
India’s concerns have been heightened after Pakistan reportedly used Turkish drones and Chinese missiles to escalate tensions following India’s Operation Sindoor, a counter-terror mission.
NSA Doval Conveys Message to China
India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had also addressed the issue directly with China. During a phone conversation on May 10 with Chinese Foreign Minister and Special Representative on the Boundary Issue, Wang Yi, Doval reaffirmed India’s uncompromising stance on terrorism.
“Our NSA and the Chinese Foreign Minister and Special Representative on Boundary Issue Wang Yi had spoken to each other on 10th May 2025, when NSA conveyed India’s resolute stance against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The Chinese side is well aware that mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity remain the basis of India-China relations,” said Jaiswal.
India Neutralises Turkish Drones and Chinese Missiles
During Operation Sindoor, which ran from May 7–10, Indian forces successfully intercepted multiple Turkish drones and Chinese missiles deployed by Pakistan. These weapons, sent in swarms, were intended to give Pakistan a strategic upper hand but were rendered ineffective by India’s advanced air defence systems.
While the drones supplied by Turkey were not of the same grade as those used in Ukraine, India effectively countered them using indigenous drones. This marked a symbolic setback to Turkish President Erdogan’s broader ambitions in Islamic regional leadership.
Israeli Tech and Indigenous Defence Lead India’s Response
Indian forces also deployed Israeli-made Harop drones, often called “loitering munitions,” which identify targets and destroy them on impact. These drones played a key role in disabling Pakistani air defences and targeting military facilities.
Air Marshal A K Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, praised India’s preparedness: “Our integrated air defence (AD) systems stood like a wall and they (Pakistan) could not breach it. Whether it’s a Turkish drone or anything else, it fails in front of the technology of India. The sky remains ours.”
Pakistan’s Firepower Fails Against Indian AD Shield
Military officials highlighted that during every attempted air assault by Pakistan, their weaponry failed to penetrate India’s robust defence grid. Lt-General Rajiv Ghai and Vice Admiral A N Pramod jointly confirmed Pakistan had used Chinese PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles and Turkish-made Byker Yiha and Songar drones.
“Whenever Pakistan Air Force attacked us, it failed in front of our AD grid,” said Lt-Gen Ghai during the post-operation briefing.
Diplomatic Signals and Strategic Outcomes
Reflecting its dissatisfaction with India’s defensive success, Turkey only sent a junior-level representative to the diplomatic briefing that followed Operation Sindoor. This limited participation hinted at Ankara’s unease over the exposure of its drone support to Pakistan.
India’s calls for accountability and stronger international support against terrorism are part of its broader diplomatic push to isolate Pakistan’s terror networks and ensure that its allies uphold mutual sensitivity in bilateral relations.
