Why India is closely watching Turkey president's visit to Pakistan
What's the story
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a four-day tour of Asia, ending his trip with a visit to Pakistan. He had earlier visited Malaysia and Indonesia.
The tour highlights the increasing ties between Turkey and Pakistan, particularly in the defense and counter-terrorism sectors.
Notably, Pakistan recently signed an agreement to purchase Turkish naval vessels, strengthening their defense collaboration.
Defense ties
Turkey-Pakistan defense partnership: A cause for concern
The two countries also held the Turgutreis-XI naval exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean in January.
Turkey has bolstered Pakistan's military capabilities through technology transfers and joint production agreements. These include naval shipbuilding, drone technology, and arms sales.
It has also supplied Pakistan with T129 ATAK helicopters and MILGEM-class corvettes, while Turkish defense firms such as ASELSAN and Roketsan have collaborated with Pakistan for advanced weaponry development.
Security talks
Counter-terrorism consultations between Turkey and Pakistan
Recently, the two countries held the second round of Counter-Terrorism Consultations in Islamabad after a gap of six years. The talks focused on terror financing, radicalization prevention, and online extremism control.
Both countries face similar security challenges; Pakistan is facing an insurgency in Balochistan, while Turkey is dealing with Kurdish separatists.
India is keeping a close eye on these developments as it fears terror networks operating against it from Pakistan.
Diplomatic moves
Turkey's BRICS aspirations and India's strategic response
Turkey is also eyeing BRICS membership in its foreign policy shift.
Erdogan's recent UNGA speech notably didn't mention Kashmir, unlike his previous addresses, which often echoed Pakistan's stance on the issue.
This could be driven by Turkey's pragmatic foreign policy arising from economic ambitions.
For India, Turkey's potential BRICS entry is both an opportunity and a challenge due to Turkey's NATO membership and growing ties with China.
Strategic alliances
India strengthens ties with Turkey's regional rivals
In light of Turkey's overtures toward Pakistan, India has been strengthening relations with Turkey's regional rivals like Armenia and Greece.
Armenia, a longstanding Russian ally, and Greece, a NATO member, are critical to India's efforts to send a strong message to the informal triad led by Turkey.
Growing connections with Armenia and Greece are also part of India's larger goal to diversify its partnerships, as it is no longer content to rely on its allies, such as Russia and Iran.