Part 1: Turkey’s Tryst with Terror: Is tourism funding terrorism?
Evidence is emerging of Turkey’s involvement in the November 2025 Delhi car blast and exposed Islamist terror plots.
Pahalgam terror attack
Earlier in 2025, India was faced with one of the worst terror attacks of the decade, when innocent tourists were identified by their religion, and Hindus were then killed in cold blood. India subsequently conducted Operation Sindoor to contain and bring to task those behind the attack. At that point, Turkey stepped in to aid and abet those involved in supporting the terror attacks. This was not a movement of individuals gone rogue, but a conscious, active and fairly open anti-India policy position by the Turkish government. INSIGHT UK published an article summarising Indo-Turkic relations in the context of anti-India and anti-Hindu terror.
What does this have to do with the UK? Well, given the significant contribution of the UK to the Turkish economy through tourism, it was important for people to be aware of the kind of activities they may be supporting with their hard-earned holiday money. This is even more relevant now in the light of India-UK trade agreements, where it is in the UK’s best economic interests to advocate for a stable and thriving India.
Delhi terror attack
In November 2025, India again faced a terrible car blast in Delhi – the aftermath of which uncovered a massive interstate terror plot, led by a number of highly educated, radical Islamist terrorists, a significant proportion being doctors. This plot involved a massive quantity of explosives as well as a plan to cause a huge death toll via poisoning through the use of ricin. Essentially, a large-scale, multifaceted, interstate terror attack had been planned.
It is early days yet and investigations are still unfolding. However, current evidence from investigations into the November 2025 Delhi car blast indicates possible indirect involvement from Turkey, primarily through connections to individuals and funding routes, although there is no publicly confirmed direct state-sponsored Turkish role. Indian authorities have found that a Turkey-based handler, codenamed “Ukasa,” allegedly directed a terror module in Delhi, working with local operatives, including a university professor implicated in the attack planning. “Ukasa,” operated from Ankara, Turkey, using the encrypted messaging apps to coordinate the group’s movements and radicalisation efforts. The module appears linked to organisations with historic ties to Pakistan-based terror networks like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and investigators have tracked hawala transactions and NGO fronts that allegedly funnelled foreign funds, some traced back to Turkey and Germany, to support extremist activities and use hate literature to incite unrest in India.
Officials have identified that the main accused, Dr Umar Un Nabi and his associates, communicated exclusively with Ukasa through encrypted apps—initially on Telegram, then moving to Signal and finally Session—to evade surveillance. The module led by Umar Un Nabi, a professor at Al-Falah University, was reportedly guided by Ukasa not just in operational matters, but also in establishing covert cells and avoiding digital footprints.
Delhi terrorists travelled to Turkey
Crucially, travel records show Umar and others visited Ankara, Turkey, in March 2022, during which they are believed to have met with Ukasa, received training, and were radicalised. Handwritten diaries and other materials seized from the suspects refer to their international connections, and investigators have approached foreign intelligence agencies to further trace Ukasa’s digital footprint.
All of this evidence points to Ukasa as an important foreign controller, coordinating, training, and guiding the Delhi terror module remotely from Turkey.
Additionally, Turkish individuals have been connected to the broader network under investigation: for example, one suspect’s Turkish partner absconded as authorities scrutinised financial links, hawala funding networks and incitement of hatred. Turkey has also established a reputation for supporting anti-India narratives at international forums and through social media networks, NGOs and other platforms.
Turkey denies any involvement
However, the Turkish government has formally denied any involvement in terrorism against India, labelling such media reports as disinformation and reiterating its opposition to terrorism of any kind. There is currently no conclusive evidence in the public domain that the Turkish state itself has directly financed, equipped, or ordered these most recent attacks. At face value, the evidence presented suggests the existence of indirect channels (such as individuals, expatriate networks, and possible NGO fronts with Turkish links) rather than overt Turkish government sponsorship.
Some facts, however, cannot be ignored. For example, the Turkish authorities – this very month – also blocked the delivery of US Apache helicopters to India by denying entry into Turkish airspace. It is surprising that Turkey would oppose the movement of any sort of goods whose transit has been arranged by the all-powerful USA. One may postulate a number of theories behind this. For example – perhaps the USA never intended on delivering the helicopters to India in the first place and Turkey is purely playing along – a believable theory in light of the USA’s clear anti-India and – one could even argue- somewhat anti-Hindu stance – in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attacks as well as more recently in Trump’s polarising actions and attitudes towards the different countries that comprise the Indian subcontinent. Perhaps Turkey is purely signalling support for Pakistan by posing an obstacle whenever it can. Whether Turkey is – of its own volition – signalling its geopolitical prowess in the Islamic world, or is in secret cahoots with the USA, is unknown. However, its anti-India stance cannot be doubted.
Turkey’s anti-India track record
In summary, the probe so far has exposed Turkey-connected individuals and routes being exploited for extremist financing and direction. Although explicit Turkish state involvement remains unproven based on published findings as of now, Turkey has an open and well-established anti-India track record.
The truth of the matter is, we don’t know how deep this goes, and the multifaceted trails of investigation lead to and through a number of other countries and a complex global web of terror funding to suit all sorts of vested geopolitical interests or fundamentalist religious ideologies. More information is emerging, and it is likely that there are a number of informational gaps in this article. Even if the Turkish government’s party line of having nothing to do with the November 2025 Delhi blasts is true, it is also true that the Turkish government’s clear anti-India stance has certainly emboldened terrorist networks that feel safe and able to operate within Turkey’s borders.
As Turkey-based terror accomplices appear to be emerging as key figures in the evolving investigations, it is important for UK authorities as well as holiday-makers to hold Turkey accountable for not taking firm enough action to prevent such terror complicity occurring within its borders, and for all of us to consider spending our holiday money elsewhere and take steps within our control to stop our money from being used to spill blood on foreign soil.
References
Arab News (2025) [Article]. Available at: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2622851/world
Daily Sabah (2025) India arrests alleged accomplice of Delhi car blast suicide bomber. Available at: https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/india-arrests-alleged-accomplice-of-delhi-car-blast-suicide-bomber/amp
Dawn (2025) [Article]. Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1954865
European Parliament (2021) Parliamentary question: Turkish funding for anti-India extremism, E-000549/2021. 28 January. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-000549_EN.html
India Today (2025) NIA arrests key aide in Red Fort blast case, uncovers Jaish-e-Mohammad link [Video]. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/nia-arrests-key-aide-in-red-fort-blast-case-uncovers-jaish-e-mohammad-link-ytvd-2820833-2025-11-16
India Today (2025) Red Fort blast handler Ukasa traced to Ankara, linked to Faridabad module: GLBS. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/red-fort-blast-handler-ukasa-traced-to-ankara-linked-to-faridabad-module-glbs-2818502-2025-11-13
India Today Global Desk (2025) Why Turkey’s New Alliance With Pakistan Could Spark Trouble For India. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/why-turkeys-new-alliance-with-pakistan-could-spark-trouble-for-india-2822158-2025-11-18
Moneycontrol (2025) Tracing Red Fort blast plan: What happened during Umar’s 2022 visit to Turkey-based handler Ukasa. Available at: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/tracing-red-fort-blast-plan-what-happened-during-umar-s-2022-visit-to-turkey-based-handler-ukasa-13673104.html
NDTV (2025) Delhi blast probe: Trail leads to Dubai, where suspect went via Pakistan, say sources. Available at: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-blast-probe-trail-leads-to-dubai-where-suspect-went-via-pakistan-say-sources-9630064
Republic World (2025) 4 teams, 4 cities, 8 suspects, 1 plot: How 10/11 Delhi Red Fort terror attack was part of larger Jaish conspiracy. Available at: https://www.republicworld.com/india/4-teams-4-cities-8-suspects-1-plot-how-1011-delhi-red-fort-terror-attack-was-part-of-larger-jaish-conspiracy
Reuters (2025) India says Delhi car blast was terrorist incident. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-says-delhi-car-blast-was-terrorist-incident-2025-11-12/
The Economic Times (2025) Delhi blast link: Turkey is the new anti-India terror hub. Available at: https://economictimes.com/news/defence/delhi-blast-link-turkey-is-the-new-anti-india-terror-hub/articleshow/125276560.cms
The Economic Times (2025) Hyundai i20, Ford EcoSport and Maruti Suzuki Brezza: How terrorists planned to strike with multiple vehicles. Available at: https://economictimes.com/news/india/hyundai-i20-ford-ecosport-and-maruti-suzuki-brezza-how-terrorists-planned-to-strike-with-multiple-vehicles/articleshow/125295581.cms
The Times of India (2025) Delhi blast probe deepens: 3rd terror vehicle found; Dr Shaheen Shahid’s Maruti Brezza seized from Al-Falah University campus. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/delhi-blast-probe-deepens-3rd-terror-vehicle-found-dr-shaheen-shahids-maruti-brezza-seized-from-al-falah-university-campus/articleshow/125296372.cms
The Times of India (2025) Evening news wrap: Turkey-based handler directed Delhi blast module; Bangladesh to hold referendum & more. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/evening-news-wrap-turkey-based-handler-directed-delhi-blast-module-bangladesh-to-hold-referendum-more/articleshow/125299583.cms
The Times of India (2025) White-collar terror module, red car: What’s emerging in Delhi blast probe — key points. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/white-collar-terror-module-red-car-whats-emerging-in-delhi-blast-probe-key-points/articleshow/125271841.cms
The Wire (2025) Delhi blast: Turkey calls reports claiming its radicalisation role “malicious disinformation campaign”. Available at: https://m.thewire.in/article/media/delhi-blast-turkey-calls-reports-claiming-its-radicalisation-role-malicious-disinformation-campaign YouTube (2025) [Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhSDUzh279M
