What a drop! Indians shun Turkey in June

INDIAN tourists shunned Turkey in droves this June, the month following Operation Sindoor, during which the Indian Armed Forces carried out cross-border strikes in Pakistan in response to the terrorist attack on civilians in Pahalgam in April, amid growing online campaigns to boycott Turkey over its support for Islamabad.

The campaign urged Indians to boycott travelling to Turkey, with some online travel agencies (OTAs) halting bookings to the country and others issuing advisories against visiting. The last such social media-led boycott was against the Maldives, which proved highly effective – Indian travel to the island nation dropped significantly after the diplomatic row and has remained low since.

Also, India’s trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan slumps in May amid diplomatic strain

In his speech in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister referred to three countries that did not support India during Operation Sindoor. While he did not name them, it is widely understood that the countries in question were China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.

According to data released by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 24,250 Indian tourists visited the country in June 2025, a 36 per cent drop compared to June 2024, when 38,307 Indians had travelled to Turkey.

This decline has also impacted the cumulative figures for the first half of the year. Between January and June 2025, 1,39,215 Indians visited Turkey, compared to 1,64,373 during the same period in 2024, a year-on-year drop of 15 per cent.

The decline began in May 2025, in the immediate aftermath of Operation Sindoor. That month, only 31,659 Indians visited Turkey, compared to 41,544 in May 2024, a 24 per cent drop. June figures dropped further below May’s.

In all of 2024, 3,30,985 Indians visited Turkey, a 20 per cent increase over 2023.

Indians comprise a minuscule 0.6 per cent of total foreign arrivals in Turkey, a market largely driven by travellers from Europe and Russia. However, the Indian market has been steadily growing in recent years, with IndiGo playing a key role in that growth.

For years, Turkish Airlines was the only carrier connecting the two countries, although several options existed via the Middle East. That changed in 2018–19 when IndiGo launched direct flights, which significantly boosted traffic between India and Turkey.

Post-pandemic, IndiGo operated wide-body aircraft leased from Turkish Airlines, but it cannot extend the lease beyond 31 August. While no official reason has been given, the move appears to be linked to Turkey’s vocal support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and its stance on Kashmir.

Turkish Airlines has been keen to expand operations in India but has struggled due to the lack of progress on revising the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).

Pertinently, ground handling agency Celebi has had its licence suspended overnight. The staff has been accommodated across other agencies without impacting operations at airports where it operates. Celebi India was majority owned by Celebi, a Turkish company.

The declining traffic to Istanbul is likely a key reason why IndiGo may choose not to deploy its damp-leased aircraft from Norse Atlantic to the Turkish city. Instead, the airline is expected to prioritise its deployment on European routes while continuing Istanbul operations using narrow-body aircraft with a technical stop.

As IndiGo deleverages its dependence on Turkish Airlines through partnerships with KLM, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic, it may reconsider its ties with the Turkish carrier altogether, especially if traffic continues to decline due to public sentiment.

Both IndiGo and the Air India group currently have maintenance agreements with Turkish Technic, and aircraft are still sent to Turkey for servicing. As of now, the flight-tracking website Flightradar24 shows two Air India Boeing 777s and one IndiGo A321neo at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which houses Turkish Technic’s base.

IndiGo has already announced a new agreement with Lufthansa Technik for redelivery checks, services that were previously handled by Turkish Technic. Meanwhile, Air India’s CEO has indicated the airline is exploring alternative maintenance providers, although no formal announcements have been made yet.