Turkiye Envoy Sees Steady Recovery in India Ties After 2025 Travel Boycott
Turkiye's envoy to India says tourism is recovering after the 2025 boycott, and urges a more resilient, multi-dimensional relationship.
Nearly a year into his tenure, Turkiye's Ambassador to India, Ali Murat Ersoy, has said that bilateral ties are recovering from the difficult phase that followed Operation Sindoor, when Ankara was perceived to be siding with Islamabad, triggering a citizen-led travel boycott in India.
In an interview, Ersoy said Indian tourist arrivals to Turkiye have been climbing steadily. After a sharp drop in mid-2025, the country received approximately 120,000 Indian visitors between January and August 2026. Early indicators for the second half of the year suggest the momentum is continuing, he added.
Ersoy attributed the recovery to consistent engagement and transparent communication with Indian media, stressing that trust must be rebuilt through sustained action rather than messaging alone.
The ambassador noted that the resumption of foreign office consultations has had a stabilising effect on the relationship. He described tourism as a resilient sector powered by people-to-people connection, but said the goal is to build a diversified tourism ecosystem not dependent on any single narrative or news cycle.
Beyond tourism, Ersoy highlighted growing bilateral trade, with Turkish interest in construction, textiles, and infrastructure, alongside rising Indian investment interest in Turkiye. Cultural exchange, from academic partnerships to the popularity of Turkish content in India, remains another key pillar.
On the issue of high visa fees for Indian travellers, Ersoy acknowledged that cost and convenience are important considerations. He pointed to Turkiye's efficient e-Visa system for eligible Indians, but also noted the absence of a reciprocal e-Visa option for Turkish citizens visiting India, suggesting that including Turkiye in India's e-Visa programme would boost people-to-people ties.
Ersoy also outlined plans to promote newer destinations beyond favourites like Bodrum and Antalya, including Gaziantep for gastronomy, Mardin for heritage, and Trabzon for nature tourism.
His overarching objective, he said, is to move the relationship from sporadic engagement to a consistent, institutionalised partnership, resilient enough to navigate differences constructively.