Rama Krishna Sangem
At a time when India is trying to emerge as a global force, it’s forging ties up with different countries in different geographies. Turkiye is one such country, a major voice and force in Europe, fostering relations with India. Though the two countries share checkered history and cultural ties since very long time, new frontiers like science & technology and trade and business are top on their agenda now. Interaction & cooperation at various levels between the two countries is fast growing since recently.
Orhan Yalman OKAN, Consul General of the Republic of Turkiye in Hyderabad spoke to Excel India recently on the growing relations between the two countries, at multiple levels – government to government, businesses to businesses and people to people. OKAN, a career diplomat from Turkiye has earlier served many other major countries like Germany, Greece and Bangladesh, before coming to Hyderabad in India. A proactive envoy he is, OKAN has recently formed Indo-Turkiye Friendship Association to further boost ties between the two countries.
Excerpts from the interview:
Question: Turkiye enjoyed civilizational relations with India for a very long time. How do you see future between both the countries?
Answer: We have to acknowledge the growing synergy between Türkiye and India—two rising stars and influential powers on the global stage. Both nations are leaders in their regions and are playing pivotal roles worldwide.
India stands tall as the 5th largest economy in the world, while Türkiye ranks as the 11th largest globally and the 4th largest in Europe, with a GDP of approximately 1 trillion dollars. Türkiye’s trade performance is also remarkable, with exports exceeding 250 billion US dollars and imports around 350 billion US dollars.
Hyderabad has a special place in the hearts of Turkish people, and I am so glad to see the love and affection of the people of Hyderabad for Türkiye, Turkish people and culture. Of course, these special mutual feelings are based on our deep cultural and historical ties, starting from Nizams’ era. Hyderabad is a unique and exemplary city with its dynamic population and robust economic structure. She is pushing a lot to become a global city. I am confident that as long as we explore the business and investment opportunities in both countries, both Indian and Turkish people will benefit from it.
Q: Turkiye was the first among the countries that recognized India in 1947. How their journey over the decades?
A: During the Turkish independence war following the 1st World War, the Indian people supported their Turkish brothers and sisters. Therefore, we always remember with gratitude this precious support during our hard times. On the other hand, Turkish independence war has inspired and encouraged many colonized nations, including the Indians to uprise against the colonial powers.
During the Cold War Türkiye took place in the Western block while India was a leader country in non-alignment movement. Then again, both countries have always respected each other, kept good relations and followed each other closely. Both governments have always been eager to further increase the relations in every possible fields.
In today’s World, together, we can build a stronger future by nurturing our dynamic ties and exploring the boundless opportunities that lie ahead for both the nations. I always support to build bridges of collaboration and unlock the full potential of our partnership.
Q: Bilateral trade between both the countries is fast growing, especially since 2014. What’s the scope for further growth?
A: I am delighted to share that the economic, trade and tourism relations between our two nations are rapidly flourishing. In 2023, our trade volume reached an impressive 13 billion US dollars. The governments of Türkiye and India have ambitiously set a target of 20 billion US dollars, urging us to intensify our efforts to achieve this goal. Given the substantial size of our economies, it is evident that the trade potential between our countries is immense.
IT, software, pharma, defense, aero-space, cyber security, green and renewable energies and critical minerals are the rising sectors in both countries. Besides, health, food security, logistics and supply chains are also becoming more and more important in both countries. The Indian and Turkish companies can search cooperation, investment and trade opportunities in those areas. Moreover, food and agriculture, all kinds of machineries, vehicles and vehicle parts, textile, electronic products, furniture, kitchen items, decoration items, stones and semiprecious stones etc. could be mentioned among the promising items to trade.
Q: Trade, Tech and tourism are 3 pillars of ties between Turkiye and India, what’s your vision on their further expansion?
A: We are in the era of information and technology. Therefore, information has become the most valuable asset in today’s world. Having kept this in mind, we understand more and more the importance of strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting each other. In the flow of natural life in today’s world, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and innovation have become the main concepts and requirements in the global economic system. I believe there is a huge potential of cooperation between Türkiye and India in the field of science and technology. Having this in mind, our Consulate has been working very closely with T-Hub and other partners in Telangana’s innovation ecosystem.
Tourism is also a shining example of our growing partnership. The number of Indian visitors to Türkiye has risen significantly—from less than 200,000 in the past to 270,000 in 2023 and 350,000 in 2024. This year, we are excited to welcome more than 400,000 Indian brothers and sisters to our beautiful country. Besides, Türkiye has become more and more popular among Indians in terms of wedding tourism, MICE tourism and film shootings.
Q: What’s your plans to encourage people to people ties between the two major ancient nations?
A: We need to increase the awareness in both societies. One of our duties is to further develop the interaction between Indian and Turkish people. Having this in mind, I have already hosted four business delegations from Türkiye during last 2 years. Two of them were about science and technology, one of them was about food and agriculture, and one was a general trade delegation.
Besides, we have invited several Turkish cultural dance and music groups to take stage in Hyderabad. We organized Turkish food festivals, Turkish film days, tourism roadshows and many more cultural and tourism events.
There are also some upcoming events for the next year such as another Türkiye tourism roadshow in February, a business trip to Türkiye in April, Türkiye food festival in May and Türkiye education fair to introduce Turkish universities in June.
Q: Can you please elaborate about the Indo-Türkiye Friendship Association which was recently set up on your initiative?
A: You can think of our association as a business organization from one perspective and a Turkish cultural center from another. The Indo-Türkiye Friendship Association (ITFA) is an organization established for the first time in Hyderabad to further increase the relations between India and Türkiye in every possible field such as economy and trade, investments and joint ventures, science and technology, innovations, culture and tourism, food and agriculture, pharma and life sciences, etc.
As a non-governmental, non-profit organization, ITFA is dedicated to cultivating an environment conducive to bilateral development through strategic advisory and consultative processes. With a keen focus on engaging stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and multinational corporations (MNCs) as well as the cultural institutions, ITFA endeavours to establish a comprehensive network that facilitates collaboration, trade, and mutual growth opportunities as well as the social and cultural interaction between the Indian and Turkish peoples.
IFTA & T-Hub MoU
I am also glad to inform that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation was also recently signed between ITFA and T-Hub. This MoU establishes a framework for cross-border mentorship, market access, and collaborative events in sectors such as IT, software, pharma, defines, aerospace, cybersecurity, and renewable energy. It also promotes joint academic and accelerator programs, emphasizing technology-driven initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and critical minerals. Beyond tech, the collaboration will explore opportunities in agriculture, textiles, machinery, logistics, and supply chain sectors.
In sum, ITFA is such a platform which provides a continuous and effective connectivity collaboration between the relevant Indian and Turkish organizations, institutions and companies.