'Major Efforts Needed To Overcome Recent Difficulties In Ties,' Shashi Tharoor Tells Turkish Envoy

Congress Kerala parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday told Turkish envoy Ali Murat Ersoy that “major efforts will be needed to overcome the mistrust that has arisen in recent months”.

The Thiruvananthapuram

Lok Sabha MP acknowledged that ambassador Ersoy “is determined to improve the lines of communication with our country”.

“Welcomed the Turkish Ambassador, Mr Ali Murat Ersoy, for a candid and constructive exchange on the recent difficulties and frustrations hampering our two countries’ relations,” Tharoor said in a social media post, where he also shared pictures of his meeting with the Turkish ambassador to India.

Earlier in October, the government chose to stay away from events marking Turkey’s National Day on October 29, sources told News18. Senior officials were discreetly advised against attending the customary National Day receptions or celebrations hosted by Ankara.

India–Turkey ties have remained frosty since Ankara repeatedly criticized India’s Kashmir policy and aligned itself with Pakistan at international forums.

Turkey expressed solidarity with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, with Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan calling on Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to convey his country’s solidarity in what he described as “India’s unprovoked violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty” at the time.

Operation Sindoor was a counterterror operation launched to eliminate terrorist hubs inside Pakistan after Pakistan-trained terrorists massacred 26 civilians in the scenic town of Pahalgam.

Welcomed the Turkish Ambassador, Mr Ali Murat Ersoy, for a candid and constructive exchange on the recent difficulties and frustrations hampering our two countries’ relations. The Ambassador is determined to improve the lines of communication with our country, but it’s clear that… pic.twitter.com/W20bfybWLo

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 26, 2025

Following this Indians also started boycotting travel to Turkey after it was found that Turkish Songar drones were used by the Pakistan Army to target India’s military bases and civilian infrastructure.

Tharoor also met Ambassador Mumin Chen, the representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India, to discuss opportunities for deeper economic and technology cooperation. Tharoor said he encouraged Chen to look at potential Taiwanese investments in Kerala’s growing IT sector. The ambassador also presented him with a handcrafted painting of a 1930s Taipei street scene.