Amid growing calls from Indians to boycott Türkiye as a tourist destination after revelations that Turkish-made drones were used by Pakistan to attack India, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has voiced her support for the movement.
Responding to a purported statement by Türkiye's Tourism Department claiming that Indian travellers are welcomed and treated with the utmost courtesy across the country, Chaturvedi said in a post on X said, "No Türkiye, Indians won’t come spending money on tourism in a country that uses the same to arm Pakistan. Look for your tourists elsewhere; our money isn’t blood money."
After the Indian Armed Forces revealed that Pakistan used Turkish-made drones to target civilians in India, many Indians cancelled their trips to Türkiye and Azerbaijan in solidarity with Indian soldiers.
Reports suggest that amid increasing calls for a boycott in India, Türkiye’s tourism sector has taken a significant hit, with around 80% of Indian travellers either cancelling or postponing their bookings.
Last year, approximately 2.43 lakh (243,000) Indians visited Türkiye.
Facing backlash, Türkiye’s Tourism Department reportedly issued a statement claiming that most locals are unaware of the conflict between India and Pakistan and that Indian travellers are always treated with the utmost respect.
"We therefore confirm that there is no reason to postpone or cancel any trips to Türkiye based on the current situation," the department said.
