India to boycott Turkish goods after Ankara’s support for Pakistan

Tensions escalated between India and Türkiye after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly expressed solidarity with Pakistan following Indian airstrikes in response to an attack by Islamist militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, as cross-border fighting continued for four days before a ceasefire was declared.

In response to this situation, the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), which supplies over 13 million small grocery stores, announced a comprehensive and indefinite boycott of all products of Turkish origin, including coffee, chocolate, biscuits, jams, crackers, and skincare products.

Major Indian e-commerce platforms, including Flipkart (backed by Walmart) and Reliance (owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani), have also pulled several Turkish brands from their sites, according to three sources and a review of the sites involved.

A source familiar with the matter explained that Myntra, a fashion website owned by Flipkart, removed prominent Turkish brands such as Trendyol, LC Waikiki, and Mavi.

A second source confirmed that the decision was made in the national interest, without direct involvement from Walmart.

Reliance’s AJIO website also removed several Turkish brands from its app, with many of them listed as “out of stock,” according to the source, who noted that the decision was made “in response to patriotic sentiment”.

There have been no official comments from the companies involved, including Flipkart, Reliance, and the aforementioned Turkish brands.

Although the Indian government hasn’t issued an official order to boycott Türkiye, a popular boycott could be influential.

India’s annual imports of Turkish goods are valued at approximately $2.7 billion, primarily fuel and precious metals.

However, the AICPDF noted that the boycott would affect food products worth nearly 20 billion rupees ($234 million).

Turkish clothing imports amounted to about $81 million last year, according to Trading Economics.

In the same context, Sukhvinder Singh Sukku, Chief Minister of India’s Himachal Pradesh state, one of the largest apple-producing regions, said he would demand a ban on Turkish apple imports, which were valued at approximately $60 million last year.

In a similar move, Flipkart announced last week the suspension of flight, hotel, and holiday bookings to Türkiye “in solidarity with India’s national interest and sovereignty”.

Indian citizens have also begun canceling flights to Türkiye, while New Delhi has revoked the security clearance of Turkish ground handling Çelebi company.