India Suspending Celebi’s Security Due to Turkish Aid to Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India has immediately revoked the security clearance for Celebi Airport Services India, a subsidiary of Turkey’s Celebi CLEBI.IS, due to national security concerns, as announced by the country’s civil aviation ministry on Thursday.

This decision came shortly after travel agencies reported a surge in cancellations from Indian tourists for trips to popular resorts in Turkey and Azerbaijan, following public support from these nations towards Pakistan amidst recent tensions with India.

Celebi Aviation Holding, the parent company of Celebi Airport Services, operates ground handling services at nine airports across India, including those in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. However, they did not respond to requests for comment at this time.

The operator of Delhi International Airport has decided to collaborate with existing ground handling service providers, AISATS and Brid Group, following the termination of their agreement with Celebi.

Murlidhar Mohol, India’s deputy civil aviation minister, stated that the government received various requests from across the country to ban Celebi Airport Services, although he did not provide specific details.

“Given the importance of this issue and the necessity to safeguard national interests, we have acknowledged these requests. Thus, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has revoked the security clearance for the mentioned company,” Mohol shared on X.

The Shiv Sena party, a significant coalition partner in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, recently organized protests in Mumbai, demanding that the city’s airport sever its ties with the Turkish company.

Last week, violent confrontations erupted between India and Pakistan after New Delhi attacked what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan, in retaliation for a previous attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir that resulted in 26 fatalities, allegedly coordinated by Islamabad.

Pakistan denied any involvement, yet both nations launched missiles and drones at each other’s military sites in the days that followed. Fortunately, a truce was declared on Saturday that has largely held.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, which are popular budget travel destinations for Indian citizens, issued supportive statements for Islamabad following India’s military actions.

Additionally, Jawaharlal Nehru University, a prestigious institution in New Delhi, announced the suspension of its academic agreement with a Turkish university.

“Due to concerns regarding national security, the memorandum of understanding between JNU and Inonu University in Turkey is suspended until further notice,” JNU stated on X.

In a separate development, Adani Airport Holdings announced the end of its partnership with the Chinese lounge access provider DragonPass, without providing an explanation for this decision.