Social media users in India took Turkey to cleaners over its request to Indians to not cancel trips to the country.

The online anger began after Turkey publicly criticised India’s military strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). On May 7, the Turkish foreign minister issued a sharp statement,

Turkey is embarking on a hazardous path to ensure the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group implements its decision to disband after 40 years of conflict, facing obstacles that need to be overcome in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

In its letter, the Turkish tourism department said that there is no reason for Indians to postpone or cancel any trips to the country.

From marble yards in Udaipur to fruit markets in Pune, Indian traders and consumers are turning away from Turkish goods, saying business must not override national interest.

“When we briefly summarize the problems Syria is currently facing, there is the issue of Israeli expansionism. This has truly reached a point where it threatens Syria’s stability, security, and future,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, flanked by his Jordanian and Syrian counterparts, Ayman Safadi and Asaad al-Shibani.

A separatist Kurdish group agreed to lay down arms to end a 40-year war for autonomy against Turkey, an historic step that could strengthen Ankara’s aspirations to become a regional powerhouse.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Ankara on May 15, prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for direct talks — if Putin attends. Zelensky warned that Putin’s absence would signal his unwillingness to end the conflict and called for new sanctions if he fails to show.