New Delhi: The Indian government has revoked the security clearance of Turkish company Çelebi Aviation, which handles crucial ground operations at several major airports across the country, including Mumbai and Delhi.
The move comes amid escalating outrage over Turkey’s alleged support to Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan standoff triggered by the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, through the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), issued a notification citing ‘national security concerns’. “In exercise of powers conferred upon DG, BCAS, the security clearance in respect of Çelebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd is hereby revoked with immediate effect in the interest of national security,” the notice signed by Joint Director (Ops) Sunil Yadav stated.
Çelebi Aviation, headquartered in Istanbul, operates ground handling services at several Indian airports through its subsidiary, Çelebi Airport Services India. The firm’s clearance, originally approved in November 2022, has now been withdrawn following mounting political and public pressure.
The move follows a strong ultimatum by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), which demanded the immediate termination of Çelebi’s contract at Mumbai International Airport. Citing security concerns, Sena leader Murji Patel said, “Turkey may not be firing weapons directly, but supplying drones that are used to target our borders is no less than a hostile act.”
Patel, MLA from Andheri East, led a delegation to Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) earlier this week, asking them to cancel the contract within 10 days or face protests.
India strikes during ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7 targeted militant camps in Pakistan. In the aftermath, social media platforms have been flooded with boycott calls targeting Turkish and Azerbaijani products and services, with Turkey accused of supplying drones to Pakistan.
Travel bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan have taken a hit, with MakeMyTrip reporting a 60% drop in bookings and a 250% surge in cancellations over the past week.
In a media statement, Çelebi Airport Services India said that it is a globally operated aviation services company with no political links or affiliation, and is majority-owned by international institutional investors from various parts of the world. The company also termed as “factually incorrect” the allegations about its ownership that have been doing rounds on social media. These include the claim that Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar—daughter of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—is a part owner in Çelebi. The company categorically rejected this claim.
Çelebi provides ground handling services to various international and domestic airlines operating out of nine airports—Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Kannur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Goa (Mopa). Apart from Çelebi Airport Services India, the Çelebi group has presence in India through two other companies—ÇelebiNAS Airport Services India and Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India. ÇelebiNAS Airport Services India—a joint venture between Çelebi and Kuwait-based NAS—is a ground handling agent at the Mumbai airport, while Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management is a joint venture between Çelebi and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), and provides cargo services.
According to information on Çelebi Aviation Holding’s website, its India operations span 58,000 flights and 5.4 lakh tonnes of cargo annually. Çelebi said it directly employs over 10,000 Indians and has contributed over $220 million in long-term infrastructure investments in India.
‘Not a Turkish organisation’: Çelebi defends itself
“Çelebi Aviation India unequivocally refutes all misleading, and factually incorrect allegations circulating on social media regarding the company’s ownership and operations in India…Çelebi Aviation India is a professionally governed, globally operated aviation services company. Today, it is majority-owned (65%) by international institutional investors from across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Western Europe. Actera Partners II L.P., a Jersey-registered fund holds 50% ownership in Çelebi Havacılık Holding A.Ş. (Çelebi Aviation Holding). The remaining 15% is held by Alpha Airport Services BV, a Dutch-registered entity,” Çelebi Aviation India said in a statement.
“We are not a Turkish organisation by any standard and adhere fully to globally accepted practices of corporate governance, transparency, and neutrality, with no political affiliations or links to any foreign government or individuals,” it added.
Responding specifically to social media speculation claiming Çelebi’s links to Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, the company said: “For the record and in line with complete transparency there is no one named Sümeyye owning any shareholding in the parent organisation. The Turkish shareholding is solely limited to members of the founding Çelebioğlu family; Mr. Can Çelebioğlu and Ms. Canan Çelebioğlu (each holding 17.5%)… The company was originally established in 1958 by their father as Turkey’s first private and independent ground handling company. Both siblings have no political affiliations or associations of any kind”.
“Çelebi remains fully committed to India and to contributing meaningfully to the country’s progress as a global aviation hub. We are confident that facts, transparency, and common sense will prevail over misinformation,” the company said, adding that all its facilities are governed and regularly audited by India’s aviation and security authorities and that it remains in full compliance with Indian aviation, national security, and tax regulations.
