Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has responded to renewed criticism over his past interactions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan, after old photos from his 2017 and 2020 visits resurfaced online. The backlash comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Turkey, following Ankara’s condemnation of India’s recent military action, Operation Sindoor.
Right-wing groups in India reignited a boycott campaign targeting Turkish goods and tourism, accusing Khan of associating with leaders of a country seen as siding with Pakistan. In a recent appearance on Indian television, Khan defended the meetings, clarifying they occurred in a different political context and were entirely apolitical.
“Turkey did a very wrong thing, and every Indian is hurt,” he said, expressing disappointment over Turkey’s support for Pakistan during recent hostilities. He highlighted that India had extended humanitarian aid during Turkey’s 2023 earthquake, emphasizing no one could have anticipated their future political stance.
Khan clarified the photos were from earlier visits and stated that he met Turkish leaders as an artist, not a political figure. “It was a gesture of goodwill. When someone invites you for tea, it’s basic courtesy to accept,” he explained, underscoring his role as a cultural ambassador.
Backing the ongoing boycott, Khan remarked, “People are right. Turkey stood with our enemy after we helped them. That’s not justice.”
He also condemned religious discrimination and mob violence in India, urging unity and national cohesion. “We must rise above religious divides and think as one nation,” Khan said, concluding that India’s goodwill was met with betrayal.
