Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday criticized Turkey’s backing of Pakistan, calling on Ankara to reconsider its approach with the fact that India has a much larger Muslim population than Pakistan.
Historical Ties Between India and Turkey Highlighted by Owaisi
The AIMIM president cautioned Turkey against unfettered support for Pakistan and asked it to realize the long-standing historical bonds India has with the nation before coming to any conclusion.
“Turkey must reconsider its stance of supporting Pakistan, and we must also remind Turkey that there is a bank called Isbank, where earlier depositors included people from India, such as from Hyderabad State and Rampur State. There are many historical connections with India, and you must know that until 1990, the Turkish language was taught in the Ladakh area,” said Owaisi.
Reminder of India’s Large Muslim Population by Owaisi
Asaduddin Owaisi remarked that India has more Muslims than Pakistan and reminded Turkey that northern Turkish pilgrims previously used to travel through Ladakh to arrive in Mumbai for Hajj.
“Until 1920, people from northern Turkey used to come to Ladakh and then travel to Mumbai to perform Hajj. We must continuously remind Turkey that there are 220 million honourable Muslims living in India. This whole bogey of Pakistan being a Muslim country is misleading. There are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan, and Pakistan has nothing to do with Islam at all,” Asaduddin Owaisi added.
Calls for Boycott and Strained Diplomatic Ties
Following the Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attack, India has witnessed a growing tide of demands for boycotting Turkey for its support for Pakistan. This has led to scrapped trips, suspended academic relations, and suspension of Celebi Aviation’s license.
The public protest, both offline and online, has also brought into question India’s support to Turkey during the 2023 earthquake, and the reciprocity of the relationship. The Indian central government has thus far not made any official statement regarding the matter.
Indian Universities Sever Academic Ties
A number of Indian universities, such as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, and Lovely Professional University (LPU), have moved to suspend or cut academic ties with Turkish and Azerbaijani universities.
LPU, specifically, has made the decision to end all such alliances due to fears over the diplomatic stance of Azerbaijan and Turkey, which have stood with Pakistan during recent geopolitical tensions.
Sharda University, too, discontinued its academic collaborations with Hasan Kalyoncu University and Istanbul Aydin University in Turkey on Saturday. The university stated the move aligns with India’s national interest at a time of deteriorating diplomatic relations and closes student exchange programs, collaborative courses, and joint research.
