‘I'll continue to revoke student visas': Marco Rubio snaps at Rep Jayapal in explosive hearing
A fiery exchange erupted during a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing when Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal sharply questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the revocation of a Turkish student's visa. Jayapal claimed that the student, Rumeysa Ozturk, had her visa canceled simply for co-authoring an op-ed critical of Israel's policies. Rubio defended the move, asserting there is no constitutional right to a student visa and that he would continue revoking visas in such cases.
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Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Eye on strong export advantage, India not keen to dent Turkey trade ties with curbs
Amid moves to curb the role of Turkish companies in critical infrastructure, citing national security grounds, there is palpably less appetite within the Government to extend this approach to the bilateral trade basket despite calls from industry groups to ban the import of items such as apples and marbles. Reason: India runs a $2.73 billion bilateral goods trade surplus and any blockade could be counterproductive. 'We have received a number of representations to ban imports from Turkey. Apple-growers from Himachal Pradesh have sought a ban on apple imports from Turkey. But India runs a trade surplus with Turkey and we have to keep in mind our exporters' interests too. It (a trade ban) could be a strong geopolitical message, but it's about how far you want to take it,' a Government official told The Indian Express. The trade surplus assumes significance as India's outbound shipments to Turkey largely consist of industrial exports, such as engineering goods, electronics, and organic and inorganic chemicals, which have increased over the past five years. In contrast, Turkey's exports to India are largely limited to fruits, nuts, gold and marble. Turkey had also stepped up petroleum product imports from India following the Ukraine war but this category has seen a significant decline in FY25. Last month, apple-growers from Himachal met Union Commerce Ministry officials to seek a ban on apple imports, stating that subsidised apples from Turkey are crippling the domestic horticulture economy and pushing orchardists in the state into financial distress. According to them, apples are not just a commercial crop but the economic backbone of hill states. Marble processors from Udaipur also wrote to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) last month seeking import curbs on marble from Turkey, citing its support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor — India imports the majority of its marble from Turkey. Official trade data showed that exports to Turkey in FY25 totalled $5.72 billion, largely driven by engineering exports, which comprise over 50 per cent at $3 billion. Notably, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector dominated the segment, contributing nearly 35-40 per cent. Turkey's support for Pakistan, including supplies of drones, during Op Sindoor had led to India cancelling the security clearance for Turkish aviation firm Celebi — and tourism numbers to Turkey showing a sharp dip. But India holds the edge in bilateral trade: exports in FY25 totalled $5.72 bn, driven by engineering exports, while imports stood at $2.99 bn, mainly of fruits and nuts. Imports from Turkey during the last financial year stood at $2.99 billion — imports in the fruits and nuts category were $107.12 million, up nearly 10 per cent from $96.82 million the previous financial year. India also imported gold worth $270.83 million from Turkey in FY25 — 159.02 per cent higher than the $104.56 million worth of gold imports in FY24. Last month, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had revoked the security clearance of the Indian arm of Turkey-headquartered airport ground-handling major Celebi Aviation Holding on grounds related to 'national security'. However, the Bombay High Court on May 26 temporarily halted Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) from finalising tenders for ground and bridge handling services until Celebi's plea against its contract termination is heard after the court reopens in June. The Indian Express reported last month that Indian tourists are increasingly cancelling holidays to Turkey and Azerbaijan, which had also supported Pakistan, as reflected in visa applications. While Turkey registered 3 lakh Indian tourists in 2024, Azerbaijan saw 2.44 lakh. Industry representatives expect that a chunk of these numbers will now be diverted to Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
India.com
5 hours ago
- India.com
Why Turkey Is Threatening India's Ally Greece After New Delhi Destroyed Its Deadliest Drone
New Delhi: India held the upper hand in its recent clash with Pakistan. Even after losing, Pakistan has not stopped spreading false claims. China and Turkey openly back Pakistan's propaganda. Now, Turkey is targeting India's close friend, Greece. Pakistan says it shot down Indian aircraft. India admits some planes were lost but keeps details quiet. Turkey uses these claims to threaten Greece. Its media spreads fear by repeating Pakistan's statements. Greece recently bought 24 Rafale jets from France. Turkish conservative media outlet TR Haber is pushing new propaganda. It claims Greece doubts the Rafale jets' capabilities. The report warns that if Pakistan can hit Indian jets with Chinese JF-17 planes and PL-15 missiles, Greece depending on Rafale is risky. Turkey and Greece have long-standing tensions. With an aim to intimidate Greece, Ankara wants to use the India-Pakistan conflict for its own ends. But what they do not say is how India crushed Turkey's drones like they were nothing. Turkey's Rafale Fear Since Greece bought Rafale jets, Turkey has been uneasy. India's attacks on Turkey's drones have caused billions in losses to Turkey's defense business. After India crippled the Bayraktar TB-2 drone badly, many orders for this drone might get cancelled or dropped. Quoting unnamed sources, TR Haber publishes in its vague reports says Greece is worried. The publication never named these sources. This unclear reporting shows Turkey's real goal. TR Haber also claims India is unhappy with Rafale's performance. It alleges New Delhi refused a technical audit proposed by Rafale's maker Dassault Aviation. The report first appeared in Pakistan and then spread through Chinese media. However, there is no proof to back it. The publication further claims India doubts France on production quality and source code sharing. The Indian government or air force has not said anything official. So these claims sound doubtful. Turkey's real aim is to question Rafale technology and to weaken India-France defense ties. The propaganda tries to plant mistrust and push India toward American or Russian weapons instead. India May Stand Firm With Greece Turkey fears India will now openly back Greece. This worry is clear in TR Haber's reports. Turkish media fears India will boost defense and economic ties with Greece as payback. Greek newspaper Ekathimerini recently reported that India is exploring big investments in Greece. Deals may happen in ports, tourism and defense. Rumors of Indian investments in Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB) and Hellenic Defense Systems (EAS) make Turkey nervous. India defeated Turkey's drones badly. India's homegrown Akash and T-4 defense systems destroyed those drones. Turkey fears India might now sell these weapons to Greece. If India strengthens defense ties with Greece, it will be a sharp response to Turkey's support for Pakistan. India also has strong ties with Turkey's rivals Cyprus and Armenia. The latter is a friend now receiving India's high-tech weapons proven in the war against Pakistan. In such a situation, Turkey's fear is natural. Apart from Akash, India's biggest threat to its foes is the BrahMos missile. India is rapidly ramping up BrahMos production. It is expected India will use these weapons to counter Turkey and China through its allies.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
BMC's 4,000cr waste collection tender bars fgn companies, JVs
Mumbai: In the wake of the row over Turkish-origin robotic life buoys that were to be deployed at six city beaches and the political backlash from BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) over Turkiye's support for Pakistan, BMC's Rs 4,000-crore waste collection and transport tender has barred joint ventures with foreign firms, reports Richa Pinto. Last month, BMC, after almost 15 years, floated the tender to replace 1,000 waste collection vehicles. It also plans to phase out community waste bins over the next 3 years. While civic officials denied political backlash had led to barring of foreign firms, a BMC document accessed by TOI says, "International companies cannot bid directly or through their subsidiaries or in JV." Recently, a pre-bid meet was held for the tender where there were discussions on the Çelebi case. BMC's Rs 4,000-crore waste collection and transport tender, which was floated last month, has barred joint ventures with foreign firms. When contacted, additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi, in charge of the solid waste management department, said it being a labour-intensive work, wherein a large quantum of labourers is required, it has been decided not to allow foreign firms. "Also, as it is a seven-year work, we want to ensure that labourers are available throughout the project period," she said. But recently, a pre-bid meet was held for the tender where there were discussions on the Çelebi case. "The recent challenges being faced in Turkish company Celebi's case is a classic example which teaches that essential public services should not be made open to international firms," states BMC's pre-bid document. Centre has revoked the security clearance of Celebi and its associated companies at airports citing national security concerns. BMC's tender follows a service-based model, where a single agency will manage both wa-ste collection and transport us-ing high-capacity, colour-coded vehicles, 10–15% of which will be electric. Currently, contracts are of two types: service-based, where the contractor owns the collection system; and hiring-based, where vehicles are provided by the contractor and the infrastructure is BMC-owned. Managing multiple systems has posed coordination challenges, said BMC, adding that service-based contracts are estimated to be 25% more cost-effective than hiring-based ones. Hence, service-based contracts are being proposed across all wards except L (Kurla), M-East (Govandi), and M-West (Chembur), all of which are areas closer to Kanjurmarg and Deonar dumping grounds. There are also plans to phase out community bins, which officials said would be done over a period of time through education and awareness activities, which are also part of the contract.
