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India’s trade relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan recently came under strain due to Ankara and Baku backing Islamabad and condemning India’s recent strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. Following their support to Pakistan, calls for ban on Turkish goods and tourism have surfaced across the country.
Amid this, photos of Aamir Khan with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan has resurfaced on social media, with trolls targeting the actor for his meeting with the state head of the country which supported Pakistan in its recent attack on India. Now, Aamir has issued a clarification regarding the controversial pictures.
“Turkey did a very wrong thing, and every Indian has been hurt by that,” Aamir said in an interview with India TV, adding, “A few years ago, there was an earthquake in Turkey. The Indian government was the first to help them then. At that time, even our government didn’t know, just like I didn’t when I went to meet Erdogan, that they’d do this to us seven years later. We extended our hand in friendship and helped them during a crisis, and this is what they do to us?”
Aamir clarified that his photo with Recep is from his visit to Turkey in 2017. “Our government was also supporting Turkey at that time,” argued Aamir. He claimed that a photo with Turkey’s first lady Emine Erdogan, which is believed to be from his visit to the country in 2020 during the filming of his 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha, in fact dates even prior to 2017.
“As a celebrity and actor, I’m an ambassador of the country when I visit another nation. So if someone invites me for a tea, saying no doesn’t feel right,” explained Aamir. He supported Indians’ decision to boycott Turkey and cancel their travel plans to the country. He added, “They did a very right thing. We shouldn’t support Turkey at all. They’re supporting Pakistan during our conflict despite us having helped them. How is that fair?”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to destroy nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in retaliation for the Kashmir’s Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. All subsequent retaliations for Pakistani offensives were carried out under Operation Sindoor.
Later, India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea. During the conflict, Pakistan used Turkish drones in its failed attempt to target Indian military installations. Online travel platforms such as EaseMyTrip and Ixigo issued advisories against visiting Turkey and Azerbaijan. Indian traders too started boycotting Turkish products such as apples and marble.
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