As I sit down to write this piece, I am reminded of “Jinke apne ghar sheeshe ke hote hain, woh doosron pe patthar nahin phenka karte.” Rajkumar’s iconic line isn’t just filmy gold, it is a warning shot for those who dare to play games in someone else’s backyard. Turkey, under Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman wet dream, seems to have forgotten this.
Straddling Europe and Asia like a smug middleman on an ancient trade route, Turkey’s always been a crossroads, and open to jabs from every side. Yet, here is Erdogan, forgetting that, and peddling drones to Bangladesh, right in India’s neighbourhood. Cute but reckless, I’d say. And hence, this could be a good time to remind Turkey that glass houses don’t fare well in a stone pelting contest. Playing the global sultan, when your real estate is open from all sides, has its limits.
Let us be clear: Turkey’s cozying up to Bangladesh is Erdogan betting on Dhaka as his next station to propel his neo-Ottoman ambition. Incidentally, Muhammad Yunus would be using this window to needle India. That makes this is a dangerous game for Erdogan. Because his own backyard — across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Caucasus — all lead straight to his glass house. These places are riddled with rivals and sectarian fault lines. India, with a little assertive diplomacy and definitive clout, can help him in his date with reality, and make him rethink about how stretched his ambitions are.
The Middle East
First, let’s talk about the Middle East, where Turkey’s swagger often gets a cold shoulder. KSA and the UAE aren’t exactly Erdogan’s biggest fans. His love for political Islam, for Muslim Brotherhood, and his loudmouth antics in the Gulf have been rubbing them the wrong way for some time now. India, fairly tight with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, can turn up the heat.
Picture Indian naval ships alongside Saudi ones in the Arabian Sea, or joint defence deals where India co-produces new toys with the UAE. These aren’t just military flexes; they’re a message to Ankara: India has got friends in their neighbourhood. India is a big buyer of Gulf oil too. So, why not sweeten the deal with long-term contracts, nudging the Saudis and Emiratis to lean harder on Turkey in forums like the OIC, where Erdogan imagines himself as a kingmaker of sorts?
Africa
Then there is Africa. Turkey has been strutting around the Horn like it wants to own the place. Its economy does not support such an ambition, however, that does not stop Erdogan from showboating. So, Somalia is his pet project — military bases, ports, the works. And here is the fun; Ethiopia, Somalia’s grumpy neighbour is not happy with the fallout. They have a beef with Turkey over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, where Ankara has been cheering for Sudan.
India can slide in as Ethiopia’s new friend, with a few military advisors and training programs, all wrapped under some program highlighting some of our world-class pharma know-how. Imagine Indian officers schooling Ethiopian troops on counter terrorism, right under Turkey’s nose. Enough to signal Erdogan that his little African playground isn’t a free little stroll in the park.
Europe
Over in Europe, Greece and Cyprus are practically begging for India to join their anti-Turkey club. Greece, with its endless spats over Aegean islands, and Cyprus, fuming over Turkey’s gas-grabbing antics in the Mediterranean, and Turkish Occupied Cyprus (TOC) are ripe for partnership. India could send its navy for a friendly sail-by in Greek waters, maybe even a joint exercise that makes headlines.
Cyprus? Offer them some tech expertise or a slice of India’s massive investment pie for their energy sector. But best would be to conceptualize a slick trilateral pact (India, Greece, Cyprus) that swaps defence tips, trade deals, and maybe a few laughs at Turkey’s expense, ones that translate into some form of domestic issue there. After all, Ankara isn’t the only one here that knows this game.
The Caucasus
Then there is the Caucasus, where Armenia’s got a bone to pick with Turkey. Erdogan is all-in for Azerbaijan, which makes Armenia India’s perfect partner. India’s already shipping Pinaka rockets and Akash missiles to Yerevan, but, why stop there? Toss in some joint training drills or a few cultural festivals to warm Armenian hearts. Amplify Armenia’s voice in global forums diplomatically. Why just Nagorno-Karabakh; why not highlight their century-old wound — the Armenian Genocide? Classic Rajkumar, that one. Hit where it hurts, but smile while at it.
The Kurds
Finally for the bouncer. Turkey remains paranoid about the Kurds. And while it is a risky play, India could quietly fund some Kurdish NGOs, interest groups, and humanitarian projects. Nothing loud, just enough to make Erdogan sweat along his restive provinces; and who knows, maybe along his urban centres too. Add to that some diplomatic manoeuvring in the UN or BRICS to counter Turkey’s narratives, and New Delhi’s got a full deck of moves.
Back home, we can tighten the screws on whatever Turkish organizations are still surviving here. And raise a ruckus in regional trade bodies about Bangladeshi drone imports. You can call it a security concern or whatever, the idea is to make a lot of noise. It is not about shutting down trade between those two; that won’t happen. It is about reminding Turkey that glass houses are a risky proposal. Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman dreams, propped up by NATO’s safety net and strategic generosity, has him overstretched. A few of the stones that he’s been throwing could come flying back.
A Window
I think this is a great opportunity here. India’s been traditionally reluctant to play this game. But since this seems to be the new language going forward, Turkey makes the perfect candidate for a debut. With a weak economy at the one end, and a pan-Islamic ambition stretching from the Gulf to the Horn, from Athens to Yerevan, from Iraq all the way to Bangladesh, this is one huge bubble waiting to be popped. Light up their backyard with just enough fuel and watch the fun. Make old Rajkumar proud.
