Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday that Turkey's close ties with Pakistan should not be seen as hostility towards India, emphasizing the need for cooperation between the two countries.
Fidan made the statement at an International Institute for Strategic Studies (ISSF) lecture in Singapore, where he highlighted Turkey's desire to maintain good relations with India despite its support for Pakistan.
Turkey has maintained close political, diplomatic, and defense ties with Pakistan for decades, with Ankara often publicly backing Islamabad on key international issues, including the Kashmir dispute.
However, Turkey also maintains relations with India in trade, tourism, and business, and has urged India not to read the issue from a different perspective, emphasizing that Turkey has no problem with India on a bilateral level.
The statement gains significance given the backdrop of India's tense relations with Pakistan over sponsoring terror and Turkey's support for the latter amid global condemnation for terrorism-related links.
