India defends Celebi suspension as standoff with Türkiye escalates

India's government has told Delhi's top court it acted within its powers in revoking security clearance for the local subsidiary of Türkiye's airport ground handling services group Celebi. It comes amid a growing standoff between the two nations over Ankara's support for Pakistan during the recent flare-up in the Kashmir conflict. 

Celebi Nas Airport Services India, which operates at nine of India's international airports, saw its clearance cancelled last week. It came after Türkiye condemned India's 'Operation Sindoor' operation on Pakistan, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, last month. Pakistan denies Indian accusations that it was linked to the incident.

Jobs at risk 

Celebi has appealed to Delhi's High Court to quash the cancellation, launching three separate petitions, claiming the decision was issued without any warning and for "vague...national security" reasons. 

India's Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the move was based on sensitive considerations involving Celebi's access to critical airport infrastructure and VIP passenger information, adding "In some situations, it is not possible to give reasons of action and neither giving a hearing is possible." 

Türkiye-based Celebi, a ground and cargo handler, has been operating in India for over 15 years, and says the move puts thousands of Indian jobs at risk.

'Calm and restrained policies'

This trade dispute comes after Ankara threw its support behind Pakistan in the wake of the Operation Sindoor campaign that targeted deadly strikes on locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in a phone call to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said he supported what he called Pakistan's "calm and restrained policies" in the crisis. 

The dispute worsened amid claims from India's military that Turkish-made Bayraktar drones had been deployed by Pakistan in counter operations. India responded by blocking the X account of Türkiye's state-run TRT World news service accusing it of spreading anti-India sentiment and misinformation.

Tea and Jam 

In recent weeks, a #BoycottTurkey campaign has gained ground in India, targeting best selling Turkish products like tea, dried fruit and jams. Holiday operators report that bookings by Indian tourists to Türkiye, a popular destination, are down over half. In its weekly briefing India's Ministry of External Affairs said it expects Türkiye "to end its support to cross-border terrorism” adding "relations...are built on the basis of sensitivities to each other concerns."

Celebi, which has seen shares in its Indian operation fall by a fifth since the cancellation, says it will fight on, adding that while its shareholders are based in Türkiye, a majority of control lies with entities not of Turkish origin. The case will be heard on Friday.