SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
India’s rescue and relief team which went to Turkey after the massive killer earthquake shook the world, returned to India after the difficult mission, a part of their heart still thinking if "we could have saved more lives", yet a part filled with the love and affection they received from the affected people.
One of the quake survivors, grieving the death of wife and three children, ensured NDRF Deputy Commandant Deepak got his vegetarian food wherever he was deployed.
A paramedic leaving her 18-month twins behind to serve the call of duty, officials processing hundreds of documents to prepare more than 140 passports overnight and rescuers not being able to take a bath for 10 days, the NDRF's mission in quake-hit Turkey was full of challenges -- emotional, professional and personal.
This is India, ready to help all alike: the datum point is need and extent of distress. India does not measure friend or foe. She believes in the old traditional ethos: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning, “The world is one family”.
Turks has a long history in India. Following the Arab invasion of Sindh, it was the Turks who made inroads into India in the 11th century. The credit of establishing the Muslim rule in India goes to the Turks.
During the Independence movement Mahatma Gandhi showed solidarity with Turks by organising Khilafat movement (1919–24) launched in British India over British policy against Turkey and planned dismemberment of Turkey after World War I by allied forces. This movement brought close affinity between Hindus and Muslim of that time.
Turkey recognised India right after its declaration of independence on 15 August 1947 and diplomatic relations were established between the two countries.
In contemporary times, relations between India and Turkey have been strained due to the latter's religious mutuality with Pakistan. Until recently, Turkey was a vocal advocate of Pakistan's position on the Kashmir dispute.
Both the countries are members of the G20 group of major economies, where the two countries have closely cooperated on the management of the
world economy.
In September 2019, Turkey had criticized India on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and the revocation of Article 370. It made vocal comments against India at the United Nations. Thereby, it favoured the position of Pakistan in this respect. Due to this, the relationship between India and Turkey got strained.
The relationship between India and Turkey was going blow-hot blow-cold, primarily due to the Kashmir issue. Turkey had rejected 56,877 tonnes of Indian Durum wheat consignment on the grounds that it contained Rubella disease, a surprising development since it occurs only in humans.
As Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went ballistic over Kashmir at the UN General Assembly, Indian External Affairs Minister raked up the Cyprus issue in the UNGA to negate Turkey’s Kashmir antics.
In 1974, the then Cypriot President Makarios faced a coup that paved the path for the Turkish invasion and occupation of the northern third of the island. In 1983, a prominent Turkish Cypriot politician and lawyer, Rauf Denktas, declared the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and became the first president of this territory.
Intervening in the matter, the UN Security Council called the newly established government “invalid”, which violates the 1960 Treaty. With the UN intervention, Cyprus was partitioned into two and established a buffer zone called ‘Green Line’.
Amidst this diplomatic battle that ensued between India and Turkey, came the unfortunate earthquake. The 6.4 magnitude tremor struck near the city of Antakya near the border with Syria, where massive quakes devastated both countries.
True to its nature of reaching out to others in crisis situations, India stepped in and launched ‘Operation Dost’. It dispatched four Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft with relief material, a 30-bed field hospital, and rescue and medical personnel to Turkey as part of its Humanitarian And Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts to assist earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria.
The Indian Army's field hospital treated more than 3,600 earthquake victims in Turkey.
Turkey was forced to take a new look at its relations with India under the new situation. Turkey's Ambassador to India, Firat Sunel referred to New Delhi as 'dost' (friend) after the Centre decided to send relief and humanitarian aid to the quake-hit nation.
On the other hand, Turkey stopped Pakistan’s PM Shebaz Sharif from visiting the country when it had been ravaged by the quake. Authorities in Turkey also alleged that the aid provided to Pakistan after its destruction by floods in June 2022 was shipped back to them following the devastating earthquake.
Clearly, there is a sign of tilting balance in the geo-political situation. Pakistan seems to have lost its ally in Turkey as the latter has found a new ‘dost’ in India. India’s gain is clearly Pakistan’s loss. Even as Pakistan continues to play the Kashmir card at the UN, it will gradually find itself completely isolated.
