12th India–Turkiye FoC: What’s Bringing New Delhi and Ankara Back to the Table?

Civilisations that have endured for centuries understand one truth well. Relationships evolve, but rarely disappear. India and Turkiye, each with deep historical legacies and expanding global ambitions, appear to be rediscovering that principle through cautious diplomacy.

For India and Turkiye, geography ensures that even when politics drift apart, disengagement is rarely an option. Their relationship has been marked by both friction and continuity, where differences coexist with an enduring need to stay connected. It is in this context that the 12th India–Turkiye Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi on April 8, 2026, take on deeper significance. Not as routine diplomacy, but as a quiet exercise in rediscovery.

Co-chaired by Sibi George, Secretary (West) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Berris Ekinci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye, the consultations resumed after nearly four years. That gap itself tells a story.

It reflects a relationship weighed down by accumulated mistrust and shifting geopolitical alignments. Yet, as geopolitics redraws its lines, it is often the quieter spaces of dialogue that keep bridges from hardening into walls.

A Dialogue Returns, Carrying More Than Formalities

Sibi George, Secretary (West) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Berris Ekinci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye

At the surface, the consultations followed a familiar diplomatic template. Both sides reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, technology, energy, education, and cultural exchanges. They also discussed regional and global developments and agreed to hold the next round in Turkiye.

But beneath these structured discussions lay a more consequential shift. The very resumption of the dialogue signals a solemn recognition on both sides that disengagement is neither sustainable nor strategically sound. In a world marked by fragmentation and competing alliances, even limited engagement carries value.

Civilisations that have endured for centuries understand one truth well. Relationships evolve, but rarely disappear. India and Turkiye, each with deep historical legacies and expanding global ambitions, appear to be rediscovering that principle through cautious diplomacy.

From Strain to Re-engagement

The immediate backdrop to this engagement cannot be ignored. Relations between the two countries had witnessed a sharp downturn, particularly following the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict. Turkiye’s overt diplomatic and material support to Pakistan during that period triggered strong reactions in New Delhi.

The consequences were visible and measurable. Bilateral trade, which had peaked at around 10.4 billion dollars in 2022–23, declined by nearly 15 to 16 percent in the following years. Tourism flows from India to Turkiye reportedly fell significantly, reflecting how quickly geopolitical tensions can spill into economic and societal domains.

Yet, even at the height of that strain, an important reality persisted. Indian pharmaceutical and automobile exports to Turkiye continued with minimal disruption. Supply chains held steady, offering a quiet reminder that economic interdependence often operates on a different logic than political disagreement. Between friction and necessity lies the India–Turkiye equation.

The Signals Behind the Scenes

Just days before the consultations, Sibi George travelled to Azerbaijan, another country whose recent positions had strained ties with India. The sequencing of these engagements was not coincidental. It suggested a broader recalibration underway in New Delhi’s diplomatic approach.

Rather than allowing differences to harden into prolonged disengagement, India appears to be re-engaging selectively, even with partners where recent tensions have been pronounced. The consultations with Turkiye must be seen within this wider context of pragmatic outreach.

Such diplomacy is neither dramatic nor headline-grabbing. Yet it is precisely this kind of steady engagement that often prevents strategic drift. It acknowledges differences without allowing them to define the entirety of the relationship.

Trade, Technology, and the Logic of Cooperation

One of the clearest outcomes of the consultations was the reaffirmation of cooperation across a wide economic spectrum. Trade, technology, energy, and infrastructure remain central pillars of engagement, and for good reason.

India counts among the top 20 trading partners of Turkiye, while Turkiye offers India a valuable gateway to Europe and the Mediterranean region. The trade relationship itself is structurally complementary. India imports marble, gold, and mineral fuels, while exporting automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and machinery.

This is not merely transactional. It reflects deeper economic alignment where both sides benefit from each other’s strengths. Even during periods of diplomatic strain, Turkish businesses have continued to maintain a presence in India, particularly in the construction, infrastructure, and engineering sectors.

Such continuity underscores a key insight. Economic ties, once established, tend to develop their own resilience. They create constituencies that favour stability and continuity, even when political narratives fluctuate.

A Strategic Geography That Cannot Be Ignored

Geography continues to anchor the relevance of this relationship. Turkiye sits at a strategic crossroads connecting Europe, West Asia, and Central Asia. For India, this location aligns with its broader ambitions of connectivity and engagement with its extended neighbourhood.

For Turkiye, engagement with India offers access to one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. It also fits into Ankara’s evolving foreign policy approach, where it seeks to diversify partnerships beyond its traditional Western orientation.

Turkiye’s membership in NATO remains a defining feature of its global positioning. Yet in recent years, it has increasingly pursued a policy of strategic autonomy, occasionally diverging from Western positions. This creates both friction and opportunity in its engagement with India.

It is within this evolving framework that both countries are exploring new possibilities. Turkiye’s outreach to Asia, including its interest in platforms such as BRICS, reflects a broader shift in its diplomatic priorities. India, for its part, offers both economic scale and strategic relevance.

West Asia and a Converging Conversation

As West Asia simmers with uncertainty, India and Turkiye find themselves drawn into the same strategic conversation, albeit from different sides. The region’s instability has implications that extend far beyond its immediate geography.

For India, the stakes are clear. With a diaspora exceeding 9 million people in West Asia, along with deep energy dependencies and critical trade routes, regional stability is not optional. It is central to India’s economic and strategic planning.

Turkiye, as a regional actor, approaches the same landscape with a different set of priorities. Its involvement is more direct, shaped by security considerations and its own geopolitical ambitions.

Yet, despite these differences, there are areas of convergence. Both countries share concerns about instability, terrorism, and disruptions to global supply chains. Dialogue through platforms like the Foreign Office Consultations allows them to understand each other’s perspectives and identify areas where their interests overlap. Even limited alignment in such a volatile region can have meaningful implications.

Managing Differences Without Letting Them Define the Relationship

It would be unrealistic to overlook the structural challenges that continue to shape India–Turkiye relations. Turkiye’s position on Kashmir remains a consistent source of friction. Differences in regional alignments and foreign policy priorities also limit the scope for deeper strategic convergence.

However, the significance of the 12th consultations lies precisely in their ability to proceed despite these differences. Rather than seeking immediate resolution of contentious issues, both sides appear to be focusing on managing them while advancing cooperation in other domains.

This approach reflects a broader shift in contemporary diplomacy. Relationships today are less about complete alignment and more about calibrated engagement. Countries increasingly work together where they can, while carefully navigating areas of disagreement.

For India and Turkiye, this means building trust incrementally. It involves strengthening economic ties, expanding people-to-people exchanges, and exploring collaboration in emerging sectors such as technology and innovation.

A Pragmatic Reset Shaped by New Necessities

The 12th India–Turkiye Foreign Office Consultations should not be interpreted as a dramatic reset or the beginning of a strategic partnership. The underlying constraints remain significant and are unlikely to disappear in the near future.

What the consultations do represent, however, is a pragmatic recalibration. They signal a mutual understanding that engagement, even if cautious and limited, is preferable to prolonged estrangement.

In many ways, this is diplomacy at its most practical. It is about keeping channels open, sustaining dialogue, and ensuring that differences do not escalate into enduring barriers.

The decision to continue consultations and expand cooperation across multiple sectors reflects this mindset. It acknowledges that while political disagreements may persist, they need not overshadow the entire relationship.

The Value of Staying in Conversation

As both countries look ahead to the next round of consultations in Turkiye, the emphasis is likely to remain on incremental progress. Success will not be measured by sweeping breakthroughs, but by the ability to sustain engagement and build confidence over time.

This convergence allows both sides to adapt to changing geopolitical realities without being constrained by past tensions. It also creates space for new areas of cooperation to emerge organically.

For India and Turkiye, the path forward lies in recognising that their relationship will continue to be shaped by both friction and necessity. The challenge is to ensure that necessity consistently finds ways to prevail.

In a world marked by shifting alliances and persistent conflicts, the ability to sustain dialogue has itself become a strategic asset. The 12th Foreign Office Consultations reaffirm that even complex relationships can still carve out meaningful pathways to cooperation.

And in choosing engagement over estrangement, India and Turkiye are not just managing their differences. They are quietly shaping a more mature and resilient bilateral equation for the future.