DigitEye India Fact Checkers
A widely circulated letter purportedly from the Turkish government pleading with Indian tourists not to boycott travel to Turkey has been going viral on social media.
The letter in the form of a circular states that the Turkish population was largely unaware of the conflict between India and Pakistan, and that Indian visitors will receive a warm welcome across the country.
BREAKING: Turkey urges Indian tourists not to initiate an economic boycott.
This comes despite Turkey reportedly supplying weapons and drones to Pakistan a move seen as hostile to Indian interests.
Indian citizens demand accountability#NuclearLeak#BoycottTurkey #SayNoToTurkey pic.twitter.com/ttaHelblem
— Manglam Mishra (@ManglamMis67977) May 14, 2025
It was shared online amid growing calls in Indian social media to boycott Turkey by cancelling travel to the country due to its vocal support for Pakistan during recent India-Pakistan conflict.
The caption reads reads:”BREAKING: Turkey urges Indian tourists not to initiate an economic boycott. This comes despite Turkey reportedly supplying weapons and drones to Pakistan a move seen as hostile to Indian interests. Indian citizens demand accountability”.
The claim can be seen here and here.
FACT-CHECK
When Digiteye India team checked for the authenticity of the circular, several anomalies could be found at the first glance. The circular was issued by the “Department of Tourism, Ankara.” But the official authority overseeing tourism in Turkey is the “Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism.” This inconsistency was the first red flag indicating the letter’s inauthenticity.
Further scrutiny of the Ministry’s official website and its recent press releases yielded no such statement directed at Indian tourists. Neither local Turkish media nor international news outlets reported any official communication resembling the viral circular, let alone acknowledging the boycott. Moreover, the text in the circular does not resemble an official document or announcement.
Another inconsistency is that the title of the circular is in Turkish as “Kamu duyurusu” (Public Announcement) but the text is in English, which is not likely for an official Turkish government release. Moreover, the layout and design differ from the formats typically used in official announcements. Hence, the claim is false.
Claim: Turkish Government issued a statement urging Indian travelers not to boycott.
Conclusion: Misrepresentation. The circular was fabricated as no such public announcement or letter has been issued by any official Turkish authority so far.
Rating: Misrepresentation — 
