India To Skip Turkey's National Day Celebrations Amid Strained Ties: Govt Sources

Last Updated:October 28, 2025, 19:21 IST

The decision follows India’s stern message to Ankara earlier this year after Operation Sindoor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left). (Image: PTI File)

In a significant diplomatic move, the PM Modi government has decided to refrain from participating in Turkish National Day celebrations, top government sources told CNN-News18. The decision- communicated discreetly to senior officials across ministries and Indian embassies worldwide- signals deepening strains between New Delhi and Ankara over Turkey’s growing alignment with Pakistan.

While the government is not expected to make an official statement, officials confirmed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has advised all Indian representatives to abstain from attending Turkish National Day events this year.

The development comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, after which India conveyed a firm message to Ankara, accusing Turkey of supporting Pakistan’s escalation against India following the terror attack in Pahalgam. At the time, New Delhi had urged Turkey to “dissuade Pakistan from using terrorism as an instrument of state policy" and to take “credible and verifiable action against the terror ecosystem it harbours."

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had reiterated in May that “relations between two countries are built on mutual respect and sensitivity to each other’s concerns," adding that India expected Turkey to use its influence to curb Pakistan’s cross-border terror activities.

Bilateral ties have deteriorated steadily since Turkey declined to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack and instead expressed solidarity with Pakistan after India conducted precision missile strikes targeting terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, eliminating more than 100 terrorists.

During its Operation Sindoor briefing, India also accused Turkey of supplying 300–400 drones used by Pakistan in cross-border attacks, some of which violated Indian airspace from Ladakh to Gujarat. Turkey has denied reports of transferring weapons, saying its military aircraft landings in Karachi were “routine refuelling operations."

Ankara’s open display of support for Islamabad- including a note of solidarity from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following India’s strikes- has further hardened New Delhi’s position and added to the diplomatic chill between the two nations.

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