After Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, Hyderabad’s Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) Thursday severed all ties with the Yunus Emre Institute in Turkey.
In a statement, MANUU, a central university established in 1998, announced the cancellation of its academic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Yunus Emre Institute with immediate effect. “The decision is taken in protest against Turkey’s support for Pakistan’s terrorist activities in the backdrop of Indo-Pak tensions.”
The university in Hyderabad signed an MoU with Yunus Emre Institute in January 2024 for five years, under which a diploma in Turkish language was started at its School of Languages, Linguistics & Indology. Services of a Visiting Professor were hired for this. “It is also worth mentioning that the visiting Professor from Turkey has already returned to his country,” the statement added.
In a statement Wednesday, JNU said it has suspended an agreement with Inonu University in Turkey, citing “national security concerns”. The MoU between the two universities was signed on February 3, 2025, for three years, and aimed to promote cross-cultural research and student exchange. The next day, Jamia too, said that any MoU with any institution affiliated with the Turkish government “stands suspended with immediate effect”.
There has been significant public anger in India towards Turkey due to its support of Pakistan, especially after India provided aid to Ankara following the 2023 earthquake. Following reports of Turkey’s support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, there have also been widespread calls in India for a boycott of Turkish products and tourism by organisations such as Swadeshi Jagran Manch.
Meanwhile, India revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, a Turkish ground handling company operating at several major Indian airports, citing national security concerns.
Online travel platforms have issued advisories urging people to avoid travelling to Turkey, and some of them have discontinued promotions for tourism to the country.
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