Turkish envoy to India calls for further improvement in ties

By Emel Oz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's envoy to India called for improved and multifaceted relations between Ankara and New Delhi, Indian media have reported.

Turkey and India are rising stars in their respective regions, owing to their growing economies and expanding roles in international area, said Firat Sunel said in an interview with the WION TV channel, based in the capital New Delhi.

Sunel added that two countries would benefit from "improving comprehensive bilateral relations in all fields," underlining that improving ties was, hence, one of Turkey’s main foreign policy goals.

Referring to the historical ties between the two countries, he highlighted that Turkey was among the first nations to recognize India's independence in 1947, opening a diplomatic mission the following year.

On the recent positive trend in Indian-Turkish relations, which included Turkish medical aid to India during the coronavirus pandemic, Sunel said Ankara, as a friend of New Delhi, could not have stood by while COVID-19 was causing sufferings in the South Asian country.

Sunel also touched upon recent events in Afghanistan and praised Indian's engagement with the Taliban, noting that engagement with all actors in the war-torn country was important.

"We believe that steady and gradual engagement with the Taliban is one of the key factors for stability in Afghanistan," he added.

* Written by Ahmet Gencturk