India’s civil aviation ministry said in an order on Thursday that it had revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India, a unit of Turkey’s Celebi CLEBI.IS, with immediate effect, citing national security concerns.
New Delhi’s decision came a day after travel booking firms reported that Indians were cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkey and Azerbaijan following those countries’ support for Pakistan during the recent conflict with India.
Celebi Aviation Holding, the parent of Celebi Airport Services, whose website states it operates ground handling services at nine airports in India including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, was not immediately available for comment.
The operator of Delhi International Airport GMRI.NS said it was collaborating with existing airport ground handling service providers AISATS and Brid Group after severing ties with Celebi.
Murlidhar Mohol, India’s deputy civil aviation minister, stated that the government had received requests from across India to ban Celebi Airport Services without providing specific details.
“Recognising the seriousness of the issue and the call to protect national interests, we have taken cognizance of these requests, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation has revoked the security clearance of the said company,” Mohol posted on X.
The Shiv Sena party, a key ally in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, had staged protests against Celebi in Mumbai this week, demanding that the city’s airport terminate its relationship with the Turkish company.
Deadly fighting erupted between India and Pakistan last week after New Delhi conducted strikes on what it claimed were “terrorist camps” within Pakistan, in retaliation for an attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) the previous month that resulted in the deaths of 26 men, which India alleged was backed by Islamabad.
Pakistan denied any involvement, but both countries subsequently exchanged missile and drone strikes targeting each other’s military installations. The nuclear-armed neighbors reached a truce on Saturday, which has largely held.
Turkey and Azerbaijan, popular and affordable holiday destinations for Indians, issued statements expressing support for Islamabad following India’s strikes.
A prominent Indian university, Jawaharlal Nehru University in the capital New Delhi, announced that it has suspended an academic agreement with a Turkish university.
“Due to national security considerations, the MoU (memorandum of understanding) between JNU and Inonu University, Turkiye stands suspended until further notice,” JNU stated on X.
In a separate development, Adani Airport Holdings announced the termination of its arrangement with Chinese lounge access provider DragonPass, which was disclosed last week, without specifying the reason for the termination.
