Bhaisahab,
We are not in a state of war with Turkey. The worst that Turkey does to us is support our enemy with resources both tangible and intangible but I don't foresee them getting into a direct confrontation with us in anything other than a WW3 types scenario.
You talk about Gita and Mahabharata but wasn't it Krishna who gave peace every chance before he ever spoke of war? Wasn't he the one who went with a severely disproportionate compromise in the form of 5 villages before ever asking Arjun to draw his bow? In the context of Mahabharata, the relations between Turkey vs us, would be something like what was shared between Pandavas and Kauravas at Rishi Dronas ashrama. We are not friends, but certainly not enemies yet, and accepting co-existing while taking occasional jabs at one another while maintaining the pretense of innocence.
What is the status of our relationship with Turkey? GOI would classify it as friendly. Are people on this thread more nuanced in geopolitics than career bureaucrats with decades of experience and service?
Someone mentioned above that Nepal bit us in the back even after all the hell we provided them. Nepal is a Hindu state so clearly, it is not about religion.
Someone moving towards your enemy can very easily be swayed toward you with the right acts at the right time. And what is better in your opinion? Have a country like Turkey support Pakistan and fight against us or improve relations with Turkey so much that when the time comes they remain neutral like we would want all countries to be.
Let's help them as much as we can at their worst and maybe they will grow up and learn. Even if they don't our collective Karma goes up anyways.
We are not in a state of war with Turkey. The worst that Turkey does to us is support our enemy with resources both tangible and intangible but I don't foresee them getting into a direct confrontation with us in anything other than a WW3 types scenario.
But we are in a war. It just isn't the conventional war. Please go back and check about PFI and other similar organizations. Turkey supported them, so did Pakistan. PFI was closed down, but you do know their agenda right? Make India an islamic republic by 2047. If Turkey can support such an organization, then do you still not consider it war? And it's the same PFI that was behind the hijab fiasco, NE problems and many more. Let's think for a moment, there was no BJP, only congress. Then they let PFI run amok. What would happen in a decade? Two decades? What PFI did was an act of war with the help of Pakistan and Turkey.
They don't have to announce on the speaker that they're at war. Their actions say they're waging a war against it. This is a different war from the ones in most of history. War that aims to subvert society, destroy institutions and impede the govt. There are too many ways to wage a war without firing a bullet.
You talk about Gita and Mahabharata but wasn't it Krishna who gave peace every chance before he ever spoke of war? Wasn't he the one who went with a severely disproportionate compromise in the form of 5 villages before ever asking Arjun to draw his bow? In the context of Mahabharata, the relations between Turkey vs us, would be something like what was shared between Pandavas and Kauravas at Rishi Dronas ashrama. We are not friends, but certainly not enemies yet, and accepting co-existing while taking occasional jabs at one another while maintaining the pretense of innocence.
It's been 75 years since Indian republic was born. We fought 4 times with Pakistan and it has been waging terror on us since decades. Turkey has been supporting Pakistan and it's not just lip service. You forgive once, even twice but after so many years? Krishna tried for peace but when it became clear that they won't listen, he asked Arjun to fight. Even though the latter was unwilling.
We are not enemies nor are we friends? Turkey is acting hostile. Even if it hasn't gone to the extent of enmity, we should give equal hostility and then extend the hand of friendship. Otherwise, we'll be just showing another cheek with a smile hoping they'll be our friends.
I'm not asking for a full freeze of relationship, but if Turkey wants to antagonize us so much and we still go to their rescue at the drop of a hat, what does that say about us? We're acting too eager to please them.
Are people on this thread more nuanced in geopolitics than career bureaucrats with decades of experience and service?
The people in the job are obviously more experienced. But they aren't immune from making mistakes, are they? I'm stating my opinion on why GOI's eagerness is inappropriate given Turkey's hostility.
Someone mentioned above that Nepal bit us in the back even after all the hell we provided them. Nepal is a Hindu state so clearly, it is not about religion.
I'd say it's a failure from our part than action from their side. Nepal should've been in India's orbit. But it's our foreign policy failure that led to the situation. Religion got nothing to do with this particular case.
And religion has nothing to do with Turkey either. For nations, religion is simply a tool for politics. Turkey doesn't give a F about Kashmir. But it pokes us because it wants to.
Someone moving towards your enemy can very easily be swayed toward you with the right acts at the right time. And what is better in your opinion? Have a country like Turkey support Pakistan and fight against us or improve relations with Turkey so much that when the time comes they remain neutral like we would want all countries to be.
We helped Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal when they were at their worst. Heck, we liberated Bangladesh. What do we have now? Pakistan still remains jihadi. Nepal is anti-India, Sri Lanka let a literal chinese spy vessel dock and bangladesh is being radicalized to the point of even hating Indians now. Just check the news of the violence against Hindus in bangladesh. If anything, it's increasing.
Goodwill might work but it's very, very rare. In geopolitics, there's only interests. Loyalty is non-existent. Turkey supports Paki for its own geopolitical interests. Unless we build some tangible interests with Turkey—like high trade, the course won't change anytime soon.
I don't have anything against providing humanitarian aid, but I wouldn't hope it to change the relationships. But the way we responded and the eagerness we've shown is worrying.