Ankara is using soft power to provoke Kashmiris and to generate anti-India sentiments across the valley

Turkey has become the breeding ground for anti-India activities and Turkey-Pakistan nexus has led to emergence of complex network of academia, media and NGO working to propagate anti-India actors, a Zee report said.

It further said Turkey has become a safe haven for anti-India elements with Pakistan’s ISI helping anti-India actors converge in the West Asian country.

Ankara is also using the soft power to provoke Kashmiris and to generate anti-India sentiments across the valley.

Contents of Turkish media outlets like Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) and Anadolu Agency—are found to be most vocal in criticising India’s stand on Kashmir. They often play up issues like atrocities on Kashmiris, Muslims and also on CAA-NRC. Turkish broadcast news, news agencies and also Turkish print media are equally active in their anti-India propaganda

As per Zee reports, Turkey offers lucrative scholarships and exchange programs for Indian Kashmiri and Muslim students.

In his last visit to Pakistan, Turkish President Erdogan had highlighted that Kashmir was as important to Turkey as it is to Pakistan and said “We have never forgotten and will never forget the help which the Pakistani people extended by sharing their own bread during our War of Independence. And now, Kashmir is and will be the same for us”.

Although, India has always rejected any of such hostile comments and has remained on its stand in safeguarding its internal security and sovereignty and has secured its votes in the International Forum but it then becomes persistent to understand how India in the future will counter such hostilities posed by nations whose stand is inhospitable with India.

The Turkish media infrastructure is also acting as a platform to bring together pro-Pakistani and anti-India elements by adopting and employing them within Turkish media houses.

“A journalist from Jammu and Kashmir, now working in Anadolu Agency, earlier worked with many Indian news organisations and closely connected to Pakistani agencies, working at their directions and is actively indulged in anti-India activities in Turkey. He is in contact with Pakistani ISI and planning to launch a website dedicated to anti- India content to further the narratives of ‘saffronisation’ and ‘fascism’ by India,” Zee report quoted a source aware of this development.

It further said, “ISI is directly funding the website, which is in the final stage of launching. Observers from the Western countries are the target audience of the website. However, they plan to build a network in India as well. The website might contain a range of content including blogs, infographics, reviews, research papers, primary resources, etc. Based on the modus operandi of similar platforms, the website might be launched as a part of any Turkey-based organisation - to add legitimacy to it.”