‘Tremendous, largely untapped potential in India-Turkiye ties across every pillar’

Q: How much of the lost ground has been recovered after the boycott of 2025? What measures were taken?

We have made substantial progress in restoring momentum. The relationship between Türkiye and Indian travellers has always been built on genuine warmth and mutual respect, and we are encouraged by the pace of recovery we’ve seen since 2025 last quarter. Arrivals from India have been gradually increasing and reached approximately 120,000 visitors from January to August 2026, and early indicators for the second half of the year suggest that momentum is continuing to build.

On our side, we took this situation seriously and responded with concrete action. We also invested in transparent, direct communication with Indian media to ensure that the strength of the India–Türkiye relationship—at the people-to-people level—was not lost in a moment of geopolitical noise.

We understand that trust, once affected, must be rebuilt with consistency rather than mere messaging. That is precisely the approach we have taken, and we believe the results are beginning to speak for themselves.

Q: Has the thaw in ties — especially the resumption of foreign office consultations — helped other sectors, such as tourism? Is there any thought on protecting tourism from future disruptions?

Undoubtedly. The positive shift in our diplomatic dialogue has had a stabilising effect. 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. That said, we don’t take this resilience for granted.

Moving forward, our approach is to build a tourism ecosystem that is diversified and deeply rooted — not dependent on any single narrative or news cycle. We also believe that consistent, transparent communication — of the kind we’re having in this very conversation — plays an important role in insulating the relationship from short-term disruptions.

What are the key pillars of India-Turkiye ties in the present context?

Tourism is one of the most visible pillars, but it sits alongside a broader relationship spanning trade and cultural exchange. Bilateral trade between our two countries continues to grow, and we see increasing interest from Turkish businesses in sectors such as construction, textiles and infrastructure, alongside growing Indian investment interest in Turkiye.

Cultural exchange also remains an important pillar — from academic partnerships to the popularity of Turkish content and culture among Indian audiences, and vice versa. We firmly believe that a multi-dimensional relationship is a stronger one, and tourism plays an essential role in keeping that human connection alive as other pillars evolve.

Turkiye visa cost is a prohibitive factor for Indian visitors. It’s among the highest, even surpassing EU and US visas. Is there any thought on easing or slashing the visa fee?

We recognise that visa costs and the ease of the application process are key considerations for Indian travellers. We continually gather market feedback—including on price sensitivity—as part of our broader effort to make Türkiye as accessible as possible to Indian visitors.

It is also worth noting that Türkiye already offers a relatively efficient e-Visa process for eligible Indian travellers, and our priority remains ensuring speed, convenience, and reliability throughout that experience.

I would like to highlight that there is currently no e-Visa option for Turkish citizens wishing to visit India. Including Türkiye in the list of eligible nationalities for the Indian e-Visa program would certainly help enhance people-to-people ties between our nations.

What are the new destinations being promoted for the Indian market?

Beyond Bodrum, İzmir, and Antalya’s cultural hinterland—which have emerged as favourites—we are also building visibility for destinations like Gaziantep for gastronomy tourism, Mardin for heritage and architecture, Trabzon and the Black Sea region for nature and highland tourism.

Our strategy is to introduce these destinations gradually…giving travellers both the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of discovery in a single trip.

What are you looking forward to building upon during your tenure here?

My primary objective during my tenure is to transition our relationship from a framework of sporadic engagement to one of consistent, institutionalised, and pragmatic partnership. India is a global economic powerhouse and a civilisational peer; Türkiye occupies a unique strategic position bridging the East and the West. A stronger, more predictable connection between Ankara and New Delhi is fundamentally beneficial for global stability and economic growth.

I want to build a relationship that is multi-dimensional and resilient enough to navigate differences constructively. Ultimately, I hope to leave behind a bilateral architecture deeply rooted in mutual respect, economic pragmatism, and sustained people-to-people affinity.