Indian Journalist Arnab Goswami Suggests Boycotting Turkey: Pakistan Used Turkish Drones to Attempt Infiltration of India
Speaking on 'The Debate with Arnad' on Republic TV on May 9, 2025, Goswami said that 'many people are beginning to evaluate whether we need to have any business or other connections with Turkey, whether people need to go there on holiday, whether they should support Turkish tourism, but more importantly, whether Turkish companies should be allowed to operate in India.' The program was posted on the Republic World YouTube channel. Goswami is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Republic Media Network.
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Following are excerpts from his article: "The Yunus-Led Administration Is Planning To Set Up Two Defense Industry Complexes – In Chittagong And Narayanganj – In Collaboration With Turkish Companies" "There are some worrying reports that Turkish intelligence agencies may be covertly supporting Islamist outfits in Bangladesh – most notably the radical group Jamaat-e-Islami – as Dhaka faces a political vacuum. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey is said to have ramped up its engagement with Islamist groups in South Asia, gradually broadening Ankara's foothold in the region's religious and political spheres. "These developments could pose significant risks to India's national security, especially as jihadi terror groups – suppressed under the Hasina government – are now attempting to regroup and reactivate their sleeper cells. "What Does Bangladesh Want From Turkey? 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Nearly 40% of Bangladesh's population is below the age of 25. "This was followed by another round of discussion between Bangladeshi foreign affairs adviser Md. Touhid Hossain and Turkish Aerospace chief Mehmet Demirolu in April [2025], in which the former suggested that Dhaka needed a reliable partner in aerospace technology and it would be a win-win situation for both Bangladesh and Turkey if they cooperated with each other, Dhaka Tribune reported. "Needless to say, Turkey has long been a major defense supplier for Bangladesh, with Dhaka acquiring a range of Turkish-made weapons and military hardware, including MKE Boran 105mm howitzers, Bayraktar drones, TRG300/230 guided multiple rocket launch system, armoured vehicles, small arms, among others." "Relations [With Bangladesh] Deteriorated Further On May 12, 2016, When Erdoğan Publicly Condemned The Execution Of Jamaat-e-Islami Leader Motiur Rahman Nizami Who Was Convicted Of Genocide, Rape, And Massacres" "How Hasina Kept Erdoğan In Line "Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1974, Turkey and Bangladesh maintained largely cordial ties. However, things changed after 2011, when Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) embraced a more overtly political Islamist agenda, creating tensions with Sheikh Hasina's government in Dhaka. "The strain became evident in December 2012, when then Turkish President Abdullah Gül sent a letter to his Bangladeshi counterpart, Zillur Rahman, urging clemency for individuals [supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh] who were on trial for war crimes committed during Bangladesh's 1971 liberation war. Dhaka, however, rejected the appeal, unwilling to reopen negotiations on such a sensitive issue. "Relations deteriorated further on May 12, 2016, when Erdoğan publicly condemned the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Motiur Rahman Nizami, who was convicted of genocide, rape, and massacres. This sparked a diplomatic rift severe enough for both countries to withdraw their ambassadors in protest. Sheikh Hasina was pro-China and a staunchly secular leader who crushed Islamist forces. "Despite these political setbacks, Turkey and Bangladesh sustained robust economic and trade engagement. Between 2004 and 2014, Turkey provided approximately $13 million in development aid to Bangladesh, focusing primarily on education, healthcare, and vocational training. "Over the past decade, bilateral trade between the two nations has consistently hovered around the $1 billion mark annually, underscoring a pragmatic relationship driven by economic interests, despite political friction. However, Hasina's removal [in August 2024] appears to have opened a new avenue for Erdoğan to advance his Islamist agenda under the guise of strengthening trade and defense cooperation with Dhaka." "[Indian Intelligence Analysts] Further Claim That A Strategic Alliance Appears To Be Taking Shape Between Turkey, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), And Bangladesh's Jamaat, With The Shared Objective Of Destabilizing India" "Should India Be Worried? "India has reasons to worry as Turkish intelligence agencies are reportedly extending financial and logistical support to Islamist factions in Bangladesh – most notably, the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami, known for its pro-Pakistan stance. "According to intelligence sources cited by [Indian media outlet] News18, the renovation of Jamaat's office in Dhaka's Moghbazar was allegedly funded by entities linked to Turkish spy agencies. 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"While the Jamaat has remained active organizationally despite the ban, its formal re-entry in electoral politics marks a radical shift in Dhaka's 'zero tolerance approach' to religious extremism and terrorism adopted by the erstwhile Hasina government, a move which also worked in India's favor, given its crackdown on insurgent groups from Northeast [of India] operating from Bangladeshi soil. "With general elections in Bangladesh months away [expected in late December 2025 or early 2026], Turkish and Pakistani intelligence agencies may seek to exploit the prevailing political uncertainty to influence the outcome and facilitate the rise of an anti-India regime in the country." Source: (India), July 7, 2025. The original English of the article has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
