Why Erdoğan backs Pakistan & targets India

India Today

Turkey’s President Erdoğan wants to revive Ottoman-era power.

Transcript

00:00And we are going to continue supporting the Pakistani people.

00:04That man you just heard, he thinks in empires.

00:10In this video I will answer why Recep Tayyip Erdogan,

00:13President of Turkey, wants the world to see his country as powerful again

00:16like it was during the Ottoman Empire.

00:18Also, we'll get into why he supports Pakistan with eyes closed,

00:22reeks of Kashmir at every given opportunity

00:24and why Turkish drones are targeting India and Indian civilians.

00:28During difficult days, we are going to continue supporting the Pakistani people.

00:35Back in 2020, Erdogan flew to Islamabad and promised to help Pakistan stay off the FATF blacklist.

00:41That's the global watchdog for terror financing.

00:43India wanted Pakistan punished for not acting against terror groups.

00:47Erdogan said nope, he called it political.

00:49Guess who backed him? China and Malaysia.

00:51That's how Pakistan avoided punishment.

00:53Same story when India tried to enter the elite nuclear suppliers group.

00:56Turkey blocked it and said only if Pakistan gets in too.

00:59This totally aligned with China's stance and helped stall India's bid.

01:03Why does Erdogan do this?

01:04Because he wants to be this tie-wearing, suit-tonning face of the Muslim world.

01:09Something Saudi Arabia and Egypt in their conservative robes aren't exactly projecting, according to many observers.

01:15So you often see Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia forming a little club that keeps poking India.

01:21Back in 2019, when they tried to host their own Islamic summit in Malaysia without Saudi Arabia.

01:26The plan? Talk Kashmir and Islamophobia.

01:29Pakistan backed out last minute under Saudi pressure.

01:32Erdogan went ahead anyway and again brought up Kashmir.

01:35Now let's talk weapons.

01:37Pakistan may have the nukes, but Turkey has the toys.

01:40Drones, helicopters, warships, fighter jets.

01:43In 2018, Turkey signed a $1.5 billion deal to build four stealth warships for the Pakistani Navy.

01:49Its biggest defence export ever.

01:51Pakistani officers train in Turkish military schools.

01:54And there are reports that Turkey is co-developing its next-gen fighter jet, the Khan, with help from Pakistan.

02:01Fast forward to May 2025, India launched strikes inside Pakistan after the Pehlgaam massacre.

02:06Pakistan responded using, among other things, Turkish drones.

02:10According to intel accessed by India today, Turkey did not just sell the weapons, it also helped fly them.

02:16Over 350 Turkish drones were used.

02:18The Indian Army conformed, Pakistan targeted 36 military sites using Turkish-made drones all the way from Leh to Sir Creek in Gujarat.

02:25What did India do in response?

02:27Blocked Turkey's state broadcaster TRT's account on X.

02:30This also blocked China's Shinwa and Global Times, accusing them of spreading propaganda during the conflict.

02:35So yeah, Erdogan wants to be a global leader.

02:37But his version of leadership involves defending Pakistan, fighting proxy wars with drones and turning up the heat on India.

02:44Again and again.

02:45What do you think?

02:46Is this geopolitics or is this simply obsession?

02:49Let me know in the comments.

02:50I'm Anisha Dukhari.

02:52First things fast.

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