In May 2025, during a brief conflict lasting 100 hours between India and Pakistan, Islamabad initiated a large-scale assault using drones and missiles targeting both military sites and civilians.
The most intense attacks occurred from late May 8 to early May 9, with between 300 and 400 drones, along with over a dozen missiles, striking 36 locations from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, covering roughly 1,300 km along the border.
Fortunately, most of these drones were intercepted or disabled by India’s “Iron and Mouse” system, an integrated counter unmanned aerial vehicle defense system (C-UA).
From the remnants of the intercepted projectiles, an emerging link between Pakistan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan was identified.
“Three Brothers”
Historically, these nations have supported one another. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, Türkiye and Pakistan quickly recognized Azerbaijan, and their military collaboration has been strengthening over time.
Azerbaijan, rich in oil, has quietly turned into a significant source of aid and investment for Pakistan. For instance, in February 2025, Baku pledged $2 billion for projects in infrastructure, energy, and mining.
Baku and Islamabad also engaged in arms trade, which was reportedly bolstered by Türkiye during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict involving Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Interestingly, India has aligned itself with Armenia, becoming its largest defense supplier by 2024 through a $2 billion deal, which included the sale of indigenous Akash missile systems to counter Turkish drones.
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Beyond military matters, there are efforts in economic collaboration as well, covering banking, trade, and tourism, particularly since all three nations are situated along an ancient trade route connecting the East and Europe.
Nexus extends into soft power diplomacy, a tool that can be leveraged to project influence from Pakistan towards Central Asia and even Europe, with special attention given to Muslim communities.
This trio forms the backdrop against which India fought its 100-hour war.
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Clearly, Turkey represents the power, Pakistan the strategy, and Azerbaijan the torrent of misinformation influencing perceptions of India’s military actions.
Türkiye’s role
Notably, many drones involved in the recent attack on India were of Turkish origin.
These included the Asisguard Songar, capable of live video transmission and weaponry, as well as the Bayraktar TB2, a long-durability unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
It wasn’t surprising that foreign weapons were utilized—Pakistan also relied on Chinese-made JF-17 fighter jets and missiles like the PL-15 from Beijing.
However, details regarding Turkey’s involvement—particularly with warships docking and weapon transfers—before Operation Sindoor raised questions.
Turkey denied supplying weapons, claiming the warship visit was a diplomatic gesture, yet the presence of arms suggests otherwise.
Turkey-Pakistan arms trade
In recent years, Ankara and Islamabad have been progressively enhancing their defense relationships.
Currently, the Pakistan Air Force operates several US-made F-16 fighter jets that have been upgraded by Turkey, involving a $75 million agreement.
Additionally, Turkey received $20 million for an electronic warfare training center development project.
Source data indicates that Turkey also secured an $80 million contract with Pakistan’s Navy to design and construct a fleet tanker.
Latest contracts include a $350 million deal for upgraded submarines and $1.5 billion for four Turkish warships with special countermeasure capabilities.
Despite the lack of immediate effect against India, Turkey’s military sales to Pakistan continue. I suppose Delhi may be cautious in discussing this relationship openly, although it’s rumored that India’s ties with Turkey could undergo reevaluation.
There’s been a backlash against Turkey from Indian tourists and Bollywood, with movements advocating a “Boycott Turkey,” further fueled by criticism from Azerbaijan directed at Indian citizens.
This criticism hasn’t seemed to impact Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He has maintained a notable stance as a “global politician,” particularly after facilitating the Russia Peace Conference post-conflict. He reiterated support for his “dear brother” Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan.
kıymetli @cmshehbaz Caldesim,
Dünyaüzerin de Pek Az Millete Nasip Olan Turkiye-Pakistan Kardeşliï, Hakiki Dost Luğunen GüzelÖrnek Lerinden Biridir. … https://t.co/nepsq2lr3o
– Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@rterdogan) May 13, 2025
Remarkably, Erdoğan has visited Pakistan six times since assuming the presidency in 2003.
Trade considerations
Given the nature of India’s economic interactions with its two neighbors, how significant are these ties?
Exports to Türkiye totaled $5.2 billion between April 2024 and February 2025, dipping slightly from $6.65 billion the previous year, making up merely 1.5% of India’s entire exports.
Description | India’s trade interactions with Türkiye and Azerbaijan amid the conflict with Pakistan are noteworthy.
Exports to Azerbaijan were minimal, at around $86 million during the same period, representing only 0.02% of India’s total outbound shipments.
When combined, imports from these countries are less than 0.6% overall.
Thus, while not enormous, there exists a trade surplus.
“Three Brothers” against India?
The 100-hour war illuminated a couple of key observations.
First, the Indian military showcased its tactical prowess, equipped with an impressive array of short, medium, and long-range missiles along with drones.
Read | Understanding India’s defense mechanisms to counter Pakistan’s aggression.
India’s “Iron Dome” serves to detect and neutralize aerial threats using an array of radar systems. Measures include signal jamming and launching interceptors from systems like Akash or Russian-made S-400s.
Second, the evolving ties among the “three brothers” should not be overlooked. There appears to be a subtle shift in Pakistan’s alliances, moving away from the US (and possibly China) towards Ankara.
India is clearly taking note of this. For instance, in Europe, military backing for Armenia (as a counter to Azerbaijan) includes support for Greece, especially regarding Cyprus against Turkey.
Notably, plans for a medium-sized Eastern European economic corridor are in motion, avoiding both Turkey and Azerbaijan entirely.
While India is likely to maintain engagement with both Türkiye and Azerbaijan, it remains prudent to closely observe the “three brothers” relationship, ready to counterbalance or support actions as necessary.
Information sourced from various agencies.
