Historical Relations

There is deep historical connection between India and Turkiye. The first exchange of diplomatic missions between the Ottoman Sultans and the Indian rulers of the subcontinent dates back to the years 1481-82.

India and Turkiye also have a cultural overlap. The Turkic impact on India in areas such as language, culture and civilization, art and architecture, and costumes and cuisine were considerable. The Sufi philosophy of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi found a natural resonance in the Indian sub-continent with its own traditions of Sufism and the Bhakti movement. There are also over 9000 words common in Hindustani and Turkish Languages.

The functional historical contacts between India and Turkiye were reflected in the   medical mission led by renowned Indian freedom fighter, Dr. M.A. Ansari, to Turkey in 1912 during the Balkan Wars. India also extended support in the 1920s to Turkey’s War of Independence and the formation of the Turkish republic. Mahatma Gandhi himself took a stand against the injustices inflicted on Turkey at the end of World War-I.