Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday, May 15, backed the calls to boycott trade and tourism with Turkey, stating that Indians are aware their hard-earned money should not benefit those who support the nation’s adversaries.
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He also pointed out that India had provided humanitarian aid to Turkey during the 2023 earthquake through its relief mission, ‘Operation Dost’. The operation was launched to support both Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the devastating quake, claiming nearly 12,000 lives across the two countries.
Here’s what Chandrasekhar said
However, at a time when the world is united in the fight against terrorism, Turkey’s alleged support for a nation that sponsors terror, especially against a country that has helped them, “is deeply unacceptable”, the BJP leader said in a Facebook post.
“The boycott of Turkey is organic and spontaneous, and I’m completely in support of it,” he said in the post with the hashtags – #BoycottTurkey #saynototurkey.
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In a post on X, he said, “India is the fourth-largest economy in the world; we are a significant outbound investing nation and a significant inbound investment destination. So, nobody needs to tell us we’re welcome. The issue isn’t how important our rupees or tourists are or whether Turkey’s tourism department distances itself from its defence or foreign ministry.”
The real issue is this: as Indians, we should choose to spend, invest in and welcome investments from countries that share our civilizational outlook, nations that stand for peaceful coexistence, saying no to terrorism and saying no to war, he added.
Leading Indian travel platforms such as MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported a noticeable rise in cancellations of bookings to certain countries, with many users attributing their decision to the nations’ perceived “anti-India stance” and overt support for Pakistan amid the ongoing conflict.
Also Read: ‘50% travel bookings’ for Turkey, Azerbaijan from India cancelled over Pakistan support amid boycott calls
Public outrage has grown following reports that Turkey supplied advanced military equipment, including drones, to Pakistan. On the night of May 8, Indian defence forces intercepted and destroyed between 300 and 400 drones that were allegedly launched from Pakistan, targeting a vast stretch of Indian territory from Leh in the north to Sir Creek in the south.
Initial forensic analysis has revealed that many of these drones were of Turkish origin, specifically identified as the Asisguard Songar combat drone model.
Also Read: Turkey, facing backlash over Pakistan support, has deep ties with Indian aviation
Traders across India have decided to boycott Turkish goods following Ankara’s support for Pakistan during India’s Operation Sindoor, which aimed to dismantle Pakistan’s terror infrastructure.
As Indians, we should choose to spend, invest in, and welcome investments from countries that share our civilizational outlook.
Meanwhile, farmer organisations in Himachal Pradesh have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to impose a total ban on apple imports from Turkey. They have also called for the implementation of strict import duties and quality regulations on apples imported from other countries.
(With inputs from agencies)
