Did India threaten Turkiye with intercontinental ballistic missile strike?

Indians have expressed deep resentment over Turkiye’s overt military support to Pakistan during recent skirmishes, prompting reports that India has issued implicit warnings of possible retaliatory action, including the potential use of missile strikes against Turkiye.

According to a report by 24NewsHD TV on Friday, several Indian media outlets have published provocative claims, with some suggesting that India possesses the capability to destroy Turkiye within six minutes using hypersonic missile technology. One widely circulated article specifically highlighted the Agni-V missile—capable of reaching speeds up to 29,400 km/h—as being able to strike Ankara, Turkiye’s capital, in a matter of minutes.

In parallel with media rhetoric, Indian citizens have launched what is being described as a “Track-II offensive” against Turkiye. This informal push includes a growing public movement to cancel travel plans to Turkiye and increasing calls to boycott Turkish goods.

Track-II diplomacy refers to unofficial efforts by citizens, experts, and non-state actors to influence international relations. In this case, public sentiment in India has shifted dramatically, viewing Ankara’s support for Islamabad as a profound betrayal of what had previously been perceived as a friendly bilateral relationship.

While the Indian government has maintained official silence on its diplomatic stance toward Turkiye, Indian media have reported that New Delhi is actively reassessing its economic and strategic ties with Ankara. This includes a potential review of multi-billion-dollar trade agreements and Turkiye’s participation in key infrastructure projects in India, such as metro systems in Lucknow, Pune, and Mumbai, as well as manufacturing initiatives in Gujarat.