Turkey and Azerbaijan are paying heavily for supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. A large part of the economy of both countries comes from tourism. There has been a huge drop in tickets to Ankara and Baku.
Amid calls for boycott of travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan on social media in the country, MakeMyTrip said on Wednesday that bookings for both the countries have declined by 60 percent in the last one week, while cancellations have increased by 250 percent i.e. two and a half times.
After Operation Sindoor, there is a call to boycott travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan across the country for 'supporting' Pakistan. '
While global powers responded cautiously and most of them backed India after the Pahalgam terror attack, two countries—Turkey and Azerbaijan—stood out for their vocal support of Pakistan. It was also revealed that during the military conflict, Pakistan used some 300-400 Turkish drones in its failed attempt to attack security establishments in Jammu, Pathankot, Jaisalmer and several other cities.
A sweeping backlash
That open backing has triggered a sweeping backlash within India. What began as outrage on social media quickly has escalated into something much more tangible: a nationwide boycott. Indian tourists are cancelling trips. E-commerce platforms delisting products. Corporates reconsidering their exposure. Traders and travel aggregators suspending services. The response has been swift, symbolic—and economically potent.
Now, Turkey and Azerbaijan—until recently among the fastest-growing tourist destinations for Indian travellers and emerging trade partners—find themselves facing an unexpected economic squeeze.
However, even amid the boycott calls, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once voiced his support for Pakistan today, saying that Ankara will continue to back the "brotherly people of Pakistan" in good and bad times.
Indian travellers express strong sentiments
Both Turkey and Azerbaijan had criticized India's attack on terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A MakeMyTrip spokesperson said, “Indian travellers have expressed strong sentiments over the past week. Bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey have fallen by 60 per cent, while cancellations have risen by 250 per cent. Out of solidarity with our country and deep respect for our armed forces, we strongly support this sentiment and advise everyone against unnecessary travel to Azerbaijan and Turkey.”
India helped Turkey when quake had hit the country
When India and Pakistan were attacking each other with missiles and drones, Turkey betrayed them, while India supported Turkey in times of crisis. Last year, the Turkish earthquake caused massive destruction. A large number of people were rendered homeless. Turkey was facing food and water crisis. At that time, India extended a helping hand to Turkey.
Prakash Kumar Pandey