New Delhi: Turkey has become alarmed after India caused a major defeat of its Turkish-made drones in India, which has resulted in Turkish leaders forging defence ties with Pakistan and Azerbaijan as well as threatening India’s ally, Greece.
During the four-day India-Pakistan battle in May 2025, called Operation Sindoor, India’s Akash and T-4 air defence systems shot down more than 600 drones that included the Turkey-made Bayraktar TB-2 models used by Pakistan. After the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, India carried out an operation against nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. By doing so, India showed that Turkish and Chinese weapons do not work well.
Turkey, which has always shown its TB-2 drones as proof of its military strength, was seriously disappointed as India’s Akashteer system blocked every drone successfully. Because of this, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arranged a meeting between Pakistani and Azerbaijani leaders on May 15, 2025, to make their defence pact stronger, facing India’s rising impact in the region.
Another reason for Turkey’s frustration is its threats of action against Greece since Greece bought 24 Rafale jets from France. Backed state media from Turkey have brought up India’s success in drone defence and used it as a reason to make Greece aware of possible inequalities in military might. This language shows that Turkey is concerned by India’s improved ties with Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia.
Sending ultramodern Pinaka rockets to Armenia by India has given the country’s military a boost and led to Turkey and Azerbaijan losing their dominance. As Mistah explained, if Erdogan works to advance Islam, this could create turmoil in NATO and lead both the U.S. and Europe into another war. He said that the threats coming from Turkey against Greece are a dangerous step up.
India and Greece are planning to invest in each other’s ports, military, and tourism. X posters are supportive of the Akashteer system, while they also make fun of Turkey’s TB-2 drones.
After doing well in Syria and Ukraine, Turkey’s good reputation for drones has suffered. It appears that buyers, especially in Africa and the Middle East, are now hesitating about buying TB-2 drones since they worry about the drones’ defences against advanced threats.
This operation clearly demonstrated India’s military and technological advantage and also revealed weaknesses in Turkey and China’s defence, which altered how regions are influenced. Because of Turkey’s actions, NATO unity is at risk, regional order is destabilised, and this helps India take a more active role in neighbouring regions, possibly causing greater fluctuations in global politics.