New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): In a strong retaliatory move against Turkey and Azerbaijan's open support to Pakistan, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Friday announced a complete boycott of trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Speaking after a national conference of trade leaders, BJP MP and CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said, 'A collective decision has been taken in the conference of trade leaders today to end all trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The reason is clear -- Turkey and Azerbaijan have openly supported Pakistan against India.'

Khandelwal said the boycott would take immediate effect, halting all imports and exports between Indian traders and the two nations.

'Any import and export will not happen with Turkey and Azerbaijan with immediate effect. The Indian film industry has also been requested not to shoot any of its films in Turkey and Azerbaijan. Many companies also shoot advertisements in these countries for their products. If any company does so anymore, then we will boycott that company too,' said

The move aligns with the recent wave of economic nationalism and strategic trade decisions aimed at reinforcing India's geopolitical stance through collective industry action.

Meanwhile, members of the Chamber of Trade and Industry also took an oath on Friday to stop trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan and pledged not to travel to the two countries.

Earlier in the day, BJP leader Smriti Irani lauded CAIT's decision to terminate all trade with Turkey and Azerbaijan in response to their open support for Pakistan and said that it reflects their support to the brave sons and daughters of India who guard the nation's borders.

Smriti Irani also said that through the boycott, the traders' body has also been contributing to strengthening the Indian economy and is dedicated to realising the dream of Make in India.

The traders' body, Confederation of All India Traders, earlier on May 14, called upon Indian traders and citizens to completely boycott travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan in response to their open support for Pakistan amidst current hostilities.

CAIT has long been running a nationwide campaign to boycott Chinese products, which has had a considerable impact, and it now intends to extend this movement to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The organisation will coordinate with travel and tour operators and other relevant stakeholders to intensify this campaign.

CAIT Secretary General and Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk, Praveen Khandelwal, made this appeal on Wednesday and emphasised that a travel boycott by Indian citizens to Turkey and Azerbaijan, in protest against their support for Pakistan, could significantly affect the economies of these countries, particularly their tourism sector.

Khandelwal said that the CAIT had written a letter to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, requesting that the codesharing agreement between our airline agencies, especially between IndiGo and Turkish Airlines, should be re-examined and cancelled.

Citing 2024 data, Khandelwal highlighted that Turkey received around 62.2 million foreign tourists, with approximately 300,000 tourists arriving from India alone. This marked a 20.7 per cent increase in Indian tourists compared to 2023.

Turkey's total tourism revenue stood at USD 61.1 billion, with each Indian tourist spending an average of USD 972, amounting to a total estimated Indian expenditure of USD 291.6 million, the trader's body added.

He stated that if Indian tourists boycott Turkey, the country could suffer a direct loss of approximately USD 291.6 million. In addition to this, the cancellation of Indian weddings, corporate events, and other cultural programs would cause even further indirect economic losses. (ANI)