India’s continued economic and diplomatic engagement with Turkey has drawn fierce criticism from security analysts and policy experts, especially amid Ankara’s deepening military cooperation with Pakistan and its repeated support for Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir.

The controversy escalated after a report highlighted that Turkish Airlines is gaining significantly from its codeshare agreement with IndiGo. The partnership allows both carriers to jointly operate flights to over 30 destinations in the US and Europe, but Turkish Airlines appears to reap disproportionate benefits, according to the Economic Times.

Sushant Sareen of the Observer Research Foundation slammed India’s stance: “We feed snakes and then wonder why they bite us.” He accused India of rewarding hostile nations while neglecting allies.

Echoing Sareen, investor Rajeev Mantri cited Turkey’s sale of Baykar drones to Pakistan and Bangladesh. He condemned India for continuing its ties with Turkey even after these hostile actions, while also failing to adequately support domestic drone makers.

The situation intensified when six Turkish military cargo planes landed in Pakistan days after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. Turkey has sold drones like Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci to Pakistan and is jointly developing the KAAN fifth-gen fighter jet. Turkish President Erdogan’s visit to Pakistan in February 2025 included vocal support for Pakistan on Kashmir.

Journalist Vikram Chandra and former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal joined growing voices urging India to sever ties — including flights — with Turkey and instead build strategic relations with Greece.