India and Turkey’s relations take a hit as Turkey strengthens ties with Pakistan and Maldives. India responds by ejecting Turkish companies from a naval warship deal worth Rs 22,000 crores, opting instead to award contracts to domestic shipbuilders. Hindustan Shipyard Limited will now construct 5 fleet support ships as part of the deal.
The steel-cutting ceremony of the first ship was also completed in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. India has taken this step at a time when Turkey has taken many hostile steps against India in recent times. Turkey, which till now had supplied drones and missiles to Pakistan, has now given TB-2 killer drones to Maldives too, where the Muizzu government is spewing venom against India these days. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the Kashmir issue several times on the United Nations platform.
Not only this, Turkey often keeps giving statements against India at the behest of Pakistan. This contract to build 5 support ships was given to Hindustan Shipyard in August 2023 and its delivery to the Indian Navy will start in the year 2027. The induction of these 40,000-ton warships will bolster the Indian Navy’s blue-water capabilities, offering sustained operations at sea with fuel, water, and ammunition support. With indigenous technology, they enable extended sea presence, enhancing both combat readiness and humanitarian assistance capacity.
Earlier, these ships were to be designed and built with the help of Turkish companies but India avoided foreign companies. By giving this project to an Indian company, thousands of Indians will also get employment. Türkiye’s Anadolu Shipyard was the first to design for the Indian project. This project was significantly delayed due to the geopolitical dispute between Türkiye and India over Kashmir. Türkiye is continuously supplying deadly weapons and warships to the Pakistan Navy. In such a situation, India’s sidelining is considered a big blow to the poor Turkish government.
