'Türkiye begging Indians': Politicians and netizens unite in calling for Turkey ban after Ankara’s viral appeal sparks outrage

A letter, reportedly from Türkiye’s department of tourism, has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), and it’s sparked a storm. In the letter, Türkiye urged Indian tourists not to cancel or postpone their travel plans, assuring that there are no restrictions or safety concerns for Indian travellers.

But Indian social media wasn’t having it.



The backlash was swift and loud, with users accusing Türkiye of “begging” Indians to return while continuing to support Pakistan, especially in the context of border tensions between India and Pakistan.

‘Indians won’t fund blood money’

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi minced no words in her response. “No Türkiye, Indians won’t come spending money on tourism in a country that uses the same to arm Pakistan. Look for your tourists elsewhere, our money ain’t blood money,” she posted on X.


Under her post, a user commented, “Now tourists will come from Pakistan with begging bowl. New trend (sic).”

Social media erupts over Türkiye’s tone

The letter, whose authenticity Economic Times (ET) couldn’t independently verify, was shared by several prominent users.

“Turkey begging Indians to come back and travel,” wrote a user named Darshit Patel while sharing the letter.

Darshan Mehta, a market advisor, added: “Already they are in panic.”

Former Union Minister and Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar also posted the letter with a crisp response: “No thank you (sic).” Another user replied: “They make it sound as if we are avoiding Turkey because of any fear… My fellow countrymen are rejecting your country and your support to terrorism.”

Travel companies take a stand

Amid the row, Indian travel agencies EaseMyTrip and Cox & Kings have suspended all travel packages to both Türkiye and Azerbaijan. Their decision comes as a direct response to these countries’ continued support for Pakistan, underlining how national sentiment is now shaping corporate choices too.


One user even suggested boycotting Indian influencers promoting tourism in Türkiye. “Any Indian YouTuber or influencer seen promoting Turkey as a travel destination should be ignored or boycotted,” he said.

Despite the heated reactions, ET noted that the authenticity of the viral letter hasn’t been confirmed. Still, that hasn’t stopped many from treating it as official and slamming Türkiye online.