Boycott turkey: After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and India’s counter -operation vermilion, Ankara is gaining momentum against Turkey in India, a few days after Ankara took the side of Pakistan. Announcements of ‘Boycott of Türkiye’ havehtag style are no longer limited to social media resentment. From the marble factories of Udaipur to the fruit markets of Pune, Indian traders and consumers are keeping distance from Turkish goods and say that business should not be kept above national interests.
According to the ANI report, Turkey has the biggest shock to India’s Marble Hub Udaipur, where the Udaipur Marble Processors Association has demanded a complete ban on imports from Turkey, India’s largest marble supplier. The step has been taken after reports that Turkish’s Asigard Songer drones were used by Pakistan in recent clashes.
Association president Kapil Surana told ANI that his organization has written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding a ban on Turkish marble. “Business cannot be bigger than the country.” The organization has 125 members and says that about 70 percent of India’s imported marble comes from Turkey. The annual supply is about 14-18 lakh tonnes, which costs more than Rs 2,500–3,000 crore.
Meanwhile, Turkish apples have disappeared from fruits markets. According to a Times of India report, traders from Pune, Mumbai and other major cities have stopped stocking Turkish apples and instead they are getting apples from Indian states like Iran, Washington, New Zealand and Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Suyog Zande, a businessman at Pune’s APMC market, said, “Turkish apple in Pune used to get a seasonal revenue of Rs 1,000 to 1,200 crore. But now the demand is zero.” He said, “This is not just a matter of business, it is a matter of patriotism.”
Since this boycott is in full swing, the retail price of apple has increased by Rs 20-30 per kg. While the wholesale price of 10 kg cartons has increased by Rs 200-300. There has been further decline in the availability of apples due to the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, the rain -affected roads and the supply of supply from Kashmir.
This boycott campaign is similar to the emotions after Uri and Galwan. Its purpose is not just to harm Turkish exports. Hitesh Patel, general secretary of the Udaipur Marble Association, told ANI, “We are giving a clear message to the world: India will not tolerate any country supporting terrorism.”
Traders from different regions are now demanding that the government ban marble and apples as well as other Turkish products and completely eliminate all economic relations with Turkey.
Since this boycott is in full swing, the retail price of apple has increased by Rs 20-30 per kg. While the wholesale price of 10 kg cartons has increased by Rs 200-300.
