‘Nation first’: JNU suspends MoU with Turkey’s Inonu University as Erdogan throws support behind Pakistan

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has announced the suspension of its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Inonu University, Turkey, citing national security considerations. 

“Due to National Security considerations, the MoU between JNU and Inonu University, Türkiye stands suspended until further notice. JNU stands with the Nation. #NationFirst”, an X (formerly Twitter) post from the esteemed university read.

India’s relations with Turkey have sharply deteriorated following Ankara’s vocal support for Pakistan amid the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Turkey condemned India’s counter-terror Operation Sindoor and described them as “unprovoked aggression,” drawing strong criticism from Delhi.

Ankara condemned India’s retaliatory strikes as “provocative” and called for an impartial investigation into the incident, aligning closely with Islamabad’s position.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly expressed solidarity with Pakistan, describing the victims of Indian military actions as “martyrs” and reinforcing Turkey’s commitment to Pakistan’s cause.

The deployment of over 400 Turkish-made drones by Pakistan during the hostilities further exacerbated tensions, exposing a significant strategic shift in Turkey’s alignment towards Islamabad.

In response, India has witnessed widespread calls to boycott Turkish goods and tourism, with major travel platforms suspending bookings to Turkey and Indian traders halting imports of Turkish products such as apples and marble. Industrialists Harsh Goenka, actor Rupali Ganguly have also joined the call.

This diplomatic rift threatens to strain the longstanding trade and investment ties between the two nations, with potential economic fallout for Turkey’s already fragile economy.

On Wednesday, a MakeMyTrip spokesperson said that Indian travellers have expressed strong sentiments over the past week, with bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey decreasing by 60%, while cancellations have surged by 250% during the same period.

“In solidarity with our nation and out of deep respect for our armed forces, we strongly support this sentiment and advise all against all non-essential travel to Azerbaijan and Turkey. We have already discontinued all promotions and offers on our platform to discourage tourism to these two destinations”, the spokesperson told ANI.

The strained ties come despite previous cooperation, including India’s humanitarian assistance to Turkey following the 2023 earthquake.

However, Turkey’s recent blanket ban on defence-related exports to India since 2024 and its public backing of Pakistan during the conflict have overshadowed prior goodwill.

Indian officials have condemned Turkey’s stance, dismissing Ankara’s calls for investigations into the Pahalgam terror attack as echoing Pakistan’s narrative.

The growing rift highlights the complex geopolitical dynamics in the region, with India wary of Turkey’s increasing defence and diplomatic support to Pakistan.

Turkey’s explicit support for Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 Indian lives, has further inflamed tensions.