Shimla/New Delhi/Mumbai, May 18 — Indian top institutions have cut all ties with Turkish Universities.
IIT Bombay has decided to suspend all its academic collaborations with Turkish universities, taking a tough stand after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s repeated support to Pakistan and its terror links.
The move comes amid rising anger in India following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people last month. Turkish statements calling for “restraint” between India and Pakistan, despite evidence pointing to Pakistan-backed terror groups, have not gone down well in New Delhi.
“We are in the process of suspending all MoUs with Turkish institutions in light of the current geopolitical situation,” confirmed an IIT Bombay official.
This is not an isolated case. IIT Roorkee, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, Lovely Professional University (LPU), MANUU, and Kanpur University have all taken similar action—putting national interest ahead of academic partnerships.
While Erdogan denied supplying weapons to Pakistan, his consistent posturing on Kashmir and open support for Islamabad have triggered strong reactions from Indian institutions.
Sources say faculty and students linked with exchange programs have been asked to pause all activity until fresh guidelines are issued.
This marks a rare moment when India’s top academic institutions are collectively turning away from global academic ties over diplomatic tensions—sending a clear message that terror sympathies won’t be ignored.