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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye has no bilateral problem with India and urged New Delhi not to view Ankara’s close ties with Pakistan from a different perspective.
Speaking at an International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) lecture at Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, Fidan said Türkiye’s relations with Pakistan should not be interpreted as hostility toward India.
“If India is going to be resentful about any country having good relations with Pakistan, there are many such countries,” Fidan said.
“We have no problem on a bilateral level with India and we urge India not to read the issue from a different perspective,” he added.
Fidan said Türkiye and India have many areas where they can cooperate and benefit from stronger ties.
“It is what needs to be done between Türkiye and India, because we have a lot to cooperate, to benefit, and we are mature enough to go in this direction,” he said.
The Turkish foreign minister said Türkiye is not the only country that has close and “brotherly” relations with Pakistan.
“So Türkiye is not the only country to have good and brotherly relations with Pakistan. There are other countries,” Fidan said.
He added that if India takes action or becomes resentful toward countries that maintain good relations with Pakistan, “I don’t know.”
Fidan’s remarks came against the backdrop of India’s tense relations with Pakistan.
Türkiye and Pakistan have maintained close political, diplomatic and defense ties for decades, with Türkiye often publicly backing Pakistan on key international issues.
Türkiye has repeatedly echoed Pakistan’s position on Kashmir at forums such as the U.N., drawing criticism from India.
At the same time, Türkiye maintains relations with India in trade, tourism and business, although ties have periodically been strained over Ankara’s comments on Kashmir and its closeness with Pakistan.
Türkiye also backed Islamabad after India's Operation Sindoor in May last year, when it carried out military strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed.
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