1 week ago
Turkiye Seeks to Rebuild India Ties After 2025 Boycott
Turkiye’s ambassador to India says the two countries can have a much stronger relationship.
Relations became difficult after geopolitical tensions and a travel boycott in 2025.
Fewer Indian tourists visited Turkiye during that period.
Turkiye then spoke more directly with Indian travel businesses and media.
The ambassador says tourism is now beginning to recover.
Almost 120,000 Indians visited Turkiye between January and August this year.
He says the countries also work on trade, education and cultural exchange.
Turkiye is trying to show Indian travellers more destinations beyond its most familiar cities.
He believes trust can grow through steady and honest communication.
Turkiye recorded more than 330,000 Indian visitors in 2024, but arrivals fell to a little over 200,000 in 2025 after geopolitical tensions and a travel boycott.
Ambassador Ali Murat Ersoy said Indian arrivals are recovering, reaching almost 120,000 between January and August this year.
Turkiye responded to the boycott by increasing engagement with Indian travel companies and media.
The ambassador identified tourism, trade, education, cultural exchange and some defence-adjacent cooperation as key relationship pillars.
Turkiye is promoting destinations including Gaziantep, Mardin, Trabzon and the Black Sea region to Indian travellers.
- Who
- Ali Murat Ersoy, Turkiye’s Ambassador to India, discussed the state of India-Turkiye relations and tourism.
- What
- Turkiye is seeking to rebuild trust and restore tourism and broader bilateral ties with India after a 2025 boycott.
- Where
- The developments concern relations between India and Turkiye, including travel to Turkish destinations.
- When
- The interview took place almost a year after Ersoy became ambassador; tourist arrivals reached almost 120,000 between January and August this year.
- Why
- Geopolitical tensions, including perceptions that Ankara sided with Islamabad after Operation Sindoor, led to a citizen-led travel boycott and a decline in Indian visitors.
Key facts
- Indian visitors in 2024
- More than 330,000 visited Turkiye.
- Indian visitors in 2025
- Turkiye recorded a little over 200,000 visitors for the year.
- Early 2025 arrivals
- About 115,000 Indians visited between January and May 2025.
- Recovery indicator
- Almost 120,000 Indian visitors arrived between January and August this year.
- Key bilateral areas
- Tourism, trade, defence-adjacent cooperation, education and cultural exchange.
- Promoted destinations
- Gaziantep, Mardin, Trabzon and the Black Sea region, alongside Bodrum, İzmir and Antalya’s cultural hinterland.
- Visa policy
- Turkiye’s visa fees and any changes to them fall under the authority of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Quotes
Ali Murat Ersoy
Turkiye’s Ambassador to India
“Tourism, by its nature, tends to be one of the more resilient sectors when it comes to weathering geopolitical fluctuations, largely because it is powered by people-to-people connection rather than policy alone.”
indianexpress.com
“We took this moment seriously and responded with concrete action. We intensified direct engagement with the Indian travel trade.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
Related news
Tourism Malaysia boosts Indian market ties with sales mission
Abu Dhabi Expands India Outreach to Boost Tourism
US Advisory Review Raises Hopes for Foreign Tourists in Kashmir
Israel among countries wooing travellers back at Gujarat tourism fair
