A two-day international conference on Türkiye-India relations, which presents historical and contemporary perspectives, began on Wednesday in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

The Türkiye-India conference, which was organized by the Ankara-based Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) and the New Delhi-based International Dialogue and Diplomacy Foundation (IDDF) in partnership with the Embassy of India at SETA headquarters, is the first-ever dialogue forum bringing together eminent scholars, diplomats, experts from think tanks, and renowned academics from India and Türkiye to exchange their views on global and regional issues.

Speaking at the opening session of the conference, India's Ambassador to Türkiye Muktesh Pardeshi said: “Our bilateral relationship rests on a strong foundation of historical contacts, shared values of democracy and liberal economy, and growing people-to-people relations.”

Pardeshi stressed the “huge potential for expanding trade and investment ties,” saying: “Türkiye is among the top 20 countries identified by India to promote trade and investment.”

“It is interesting to observe that Türkiye also identified India among the top 18 targeted destinations to promote trade as part of its distant country strategy, which was released in 2023,” Pardeshi noted.

“Bilateral trade has grown in the last few years,” he said, adding that the highest trade volume was recorded nearly two years ago at $13.8 billion.

In recent years, the trade volume between the two countries has averaged around $10 billion, he added.

“We have a shared eagerness to double it and do it fast,” Pardeshi added.

Türkiye, India: Emerging key players on global stage

Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci, for her part, said: “The relationship between Türkiye and India is not just a matter of historical interest, but one of future significance.”

Both Türkiye and India stand at critical junctures in their respective histories, she said, adding: “We are both rapidly emerging as key players on the global stage, with growing influence across the political, economic, and cultural spheres.”

“Our nations share a vision for a more just and multipolar world, one in which the principles of equality, mutual respect, and cooperative progress take precedence,” Ekinci noted.

“We have much to gain from a coordinated approach to international affairs, particularly in multilateral forums like the UN and G20,” Ekinci stressed.

“The potential in our partnership is vast, and we firmly believe that there are tremendous opportunities to unlock in sectors like infrastructure, development, tourism, civil aviation, space exploration, IT, health care, pharmaceuticals, education, e-commerce, and renewable energy,” she added.

‘Türkiye expands cooperation amid growing multipolarity’

In his opening remarks, SETA General Coordinator Nebi Mis said: “We are living in an era where the multipolarization is emerging and increasing uncertainties lead to countries to find their strategic positions on earth, and the states actually trying to position themselves depending on the escalating trends.”

“In this era where the multipolarization process is increasing, Türkiye is now creating new cooperation channels,” Mis said.

Mis underlined that as part of the new Asia incentives, Türkiye diversifies its economic relations in addition to its political positions.

Stressing that Türkiye and India have very strong and ancient relations with their historical wealth and strategic position, Mis said: “Their positions are also getting much more important in the changing geopolitical dynamics.”

The opening session continued with remarks by Aftab Kamal Pasha, director of IDDF, who stressed the importance of frequent exchanges between academics, policymakers, and the thinkers who lay the foundation for better understanding between the two countries.

“Frequent meetings will pave the way for greater cooperation, understanding, and the necessary input for the direction in which the foreign, economic, and other policies are shaped for the benefit of the two peoples,” Pasha noted.

Sessions

Two panels were held on the first day of the conference: “Global and Regional Order” and “Perspectives on the Global South.”

Speaking at the first panel, Dr. C Raja Mohan, an advisor at the India-based Centre for Strategic and Defense Research, underlined that the churn in the current global order, which has intensified since the return of Donald Trump as the US president this year, demands that all other major actors in the world, including India and Türkiye, take a fresh look at their regional and global orientation as well as their bilateral ties.

Professor Gurol Baba from Ankara Social Sciences University's International Relations Department stressed that Türkiye and India are increasingly shaping their strategic outlooks in the Indo-Pacific region due to evolving geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geocultural dynamics.

Dr. Nandan Unnikrishnan from the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation said that India-Türkiye collaboration in Central Asia is possible in trade and connectivity but geopolitical rivalries limit substantial cooperation in the near future.

Professor Yucel Acer of Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University explained increasing demands for reforming the UN as well as some approaches stemming from various regions of the world, including Türkiye and India.

At the second panel, the participants discussed various issues, including the role of India and Türkiye in Africa; Türkiye’s relations with Asia at the international level; transforming perceptions of Türkiye-India ties as well as enhanced cooperation between the two nations in global groupings.

An exhibition featuring historical archives and newspapers that shed light on Türkiye-India relations was also organized.