Relationship dossier
Turkey
India
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation coexists with friction over Turkey’s support for Pakistan on Kashmir.
Turkey toward India
-25Turkey has repeatedly supported Pakistan’s position on Kashmir; President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raised the issue at the United Nations in 2019. This has been a recurring point of friction with India, despite continued bilateral engagement.
India toward Turkey
+15India sent rescue teams and humanitarian assistance to Turkey after the February 2023 earthquakes through Operation Dost. India has also objected to Turkey’s statements on Kashmir, while maintaining bilateral engagement.
Overall relationship
-10The relationship combines practical bilateral engagement and India’s substantial earthquake relief effort with recurring political friction over Turkey’s support for Pakistan on Kashmir. These competing features make the relationship mixed, with the Kashmir disagreement a significant constraint.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and India have maintained bilateral engagement and economic ties, but Turkey’s support for Pakistan on Kashmir has been a recurring source of friction. India sent rescue teams and relief to Turkey after the February 2023 earthquakes. The relationship therefore combines practical cooperation with significant political disagreement.
Areas of tension
- Turkey’s support for Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and public statements on the issue.
Key developments
India launched Operation Dost, sending search-and-rescue teams and humanitarian assistance to Turkey after major earthquakes.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raised Kashmir in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, prompting Indian objections.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral economic and other cooperation are unclear.
- The extent to which Turkey’s positions on Kashmir affect ongoing bilateral engagement is uncertain.