Context: During the ongoing Indo-Pak crisis, Pakistan identified Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan as its principal international supporters, highlighting a growing strategic nexus that impacts India’s geopolitical calculus.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Growing Turkey-Pakistan strategic partnership and India’s response.
Turkey-Pakistan Friendship
- Pakistan-Turkey relationship is rooted in shared Islamic identity and historical solidarity.
- Turkey was the only Pakistani ally in West Asia to explicitly condemn Operation Sindoor.
- Other Gulf countries have not only refrained from backing Pakistan, but have also shown greater sensitivity to India’s position on Kashmir.
Historical and Ideological Ties
- During the Cold War, both countries were aligned under US-led security frameworks such as the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) and the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD).
- This historical camaraderie was reinforced by mutual support in international conflicts- Pakistan supported Turkey during the Cyprus crisis (1964, 1971), while Turkey has consistently backed Pakistan’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir.
- The rise of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his brand of political Islam has further cemented this alliance. Erdogan’s repeated visits to Pakistan signify Ankara’s political commitment to Islamabad.
- Geopolitically, Turkey (with Qatar) is locked in competition with its Gulf Arab rivals, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. To curb Saudi-Emirati influence, Turkey has looked for alternative architectures of cooperation with non-Gulf Muslim states such as Pakistan and Malaysia.
Defence Cooperation:
- Turkey is Pakistan’s second-largest arms supplier after China. Turkey has supplied Bayraktar drones, Asisguard Songar drones (used in recent attacks on India), Kemankes cruise missiles, Corvettes (warships) for the Pakistan Navy.
- Since 2000, Turkish Navy has held numerous joint exercises with the Pakistan Navy, the second largest in the IOR. By contrast, it has hardly had any exercises with the Indian Navy.
India’s Geostrategic Countermeasures
India has pursued a multi-pronged strategy to counterbalance the Pakistan-Turkey nexus:
- Engagement with Turkey’s Regional Rivals:
- India supports the Republic of Cyprus and has deepened diplomatic engagement with Greece, both of which oppose Turkish claims in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- India has emerged as Armenia’s primary defence supplier, particularly in the context of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. This counters the Turkey-Pakistan-Azerbaijan axis.
- Strengthening West Asian Partnerships: India has built strong economic and diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and UAE despite their historic ties with Pakistan.Their neutral stance on recent Indo-Pak conflicts marks a diplomatic win for New Delhi.
- Global Strategic Realignment: India’s inclusion in the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Strategy, the QUAD, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) signifies its emergence as a pivotal Indo-Pacific actor, in contrast to Pakistan and Turkey, who are relatively marginal in this framework.
- Participation in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) bypasses Turkey, undercutting Turkey’s bridge-role between Europe and Asia.
- Economic Diplomacy and Soft Power: India’s humanitarian assistance to Turkey during the 2023 earthquake (Operation Dost) showcased its diplomatic maturity, although it failed to alter Turkey’s pro-Pakistan stance.
Way Forward
- India should deepen defence ties with Turkey’s regional rivals and promote diplomatic engagement with non-aligned Muslim states.
- Greater cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges with Turkish civil society may create long-term goodwill.
- Strategic communication and realignment in multilateral forums can help neutralise hostile narratives on Kashmir.
Turkey today is a strong and entrenched part of Pakistan’s international alliance that works to India’s detriment, second only to China.