Speaking to TNIE, one of the senior officials of the University said, “We have suspended the MoU with Turkiye’s Inonu University. Under the pact, there were plans for faculty exchange and student exchange programmes, among others.”

The suspension comes amid growing national sentiment against Turkey, especially after Indian intelligence reports suggested the use of Turkish-origin drones by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor — a retaliatory military operation launched by India following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

On the same day, the Indian government briefly blocked the social media accounts of Turkish state broadcaster TRT World, accusing it of spreading anti-India propaganda and misinformation. Public backlash has led to calls for a boycott of Turkish products and services.

India’s diplomatic and trade relations with Turkey are now under strain, with several sectors reacting to Ankara’s stance. Leading online travel portals like MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported widespread cancellations of trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan — the latter also having expressed support for Pakistan during the conflict.