
India revokes Turkish firm's contract
India revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India, a unit of Turkey's Celebi, with immediate effect, citing national security concerns, the country's civil aviation ministry said in an order on Thursday.
New Delhi's decision came a day after travel booking firms said Indians were cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkey and Azerbaijan following the countries' support for Pakistan during the recent conflict with India.
Celebi Aviation Holding, the parent of Celebi Airport Services, whose website says it operates ground handling services at nine airports in India including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, was not immediately available for a comment.
The operator of Delhi International Airport said it was working with existing airport ground handling service providers AISATS and Brid Group after it cut ties with Celebi.
Murlidhar Mohol, India's deputy civil aviation minister, said the government had received requests from across India to ban Celebi Airport Services without providing details.

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Business Recorder
22-05-2025
- Business Recorder
India says it has powers to suspend Celebi's clearance without warning
NEW DELHI: India's government told a court on Thursday it was well within New Delhi's legal powers to revoke Turkiye-based Celebi's clearance to provide aviation ground services without giving it advance warning, given the matter concerned national security. Celebi's clearance was cancelled by India last week amid growing public anger after Turkiye supported Pakistan in the recent Pakistan, India conflict. Indians have also been boycotting everything from Turkish coffee, jams and chocolates to Turkiye holidays. Celebi asked the Delhi High Court this week to quash the cancellation by arguing it was issued without any warning and based on 'vague' and unexplained 'national security' concerns, but Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said on Thursday it did not need to share details of its reasons with the company. Indian courts have previously held that in some cases national security concerns can outweigh the requirement of fairness and in this case, there was no need to comply with principles of natural justice, he said. 'In some situations, it is not possible to give reasons of action and neither giving a hearing is possible,' Mehta said in the court in Indian government's first detailed remarks on Celebi's challenge. Turkiye's Celebi sues India over 'vague' clearance pullback amid Pakistan conflict The Indian government handed some details to Justice Sachin Datta in a sealed envelope. The case will next be heard on Friday. Earlier in the day, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, said the Celebi matter had been discussed with the Turkish embassy in New Delhi. Celebi argued in its court filing that the decision impacts 3,791 jobs and investor confidence. It added that it provided ground handling services at airports in New Delhi, Kerala, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Goa. In defending Celebi's cancellation, Mehta also argued on Thursday that airport ground operators have detailed access to the physical infrastructure as well as passenger details including VIP movements.


Express Tribune
17-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Celebi sues India over pullback
Turkey-based Celebi, a provider of airport ground handling in India, has launched a legal challenge to New Delhi's decision to overturn its security clearance, arguing in a court filing that "vague" national security concerns were cited without reasoning. Amid growing public anger in India about Turkey's stance on Pakistan in the India-Pakistan conflict, the Indian government on Thursday revoked Celebi's security clearance in the "interest of national security." Celebi Airport Services India, in a May 16 filing seen by Reuters, asked the Delhi High Court to set aside that decision, arguing it would impact 3,791 jobs and investor confidence, and was issued without any warning to the company. "Mere rhetoric of national security without elaborating upon in what manner is an entity a threat to national security is unsustainable in law," the company said in the filing, which is not public. Its details have not previously been reported. India's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is likely to be heard on Monday. In its filing, Celebi also said its shareholders were registered in Turkey, but the "majority end control" is held by companies of global repute who do not have Turkish incorporation or origin.


Business Recorder
16-05-2025
- Business Recorder
Turkiye's Celebi sues India over ‘vague' clearance pullback amid Pakistan conflict
NEW DELHI: Turkiye-based Celebi, which provides airport ground handling in India, has launched a legal challenge to New Delhi's decision to overturn its security clearance, arguing that 'vague' national security concerns were cited without reasoning. Amid growing public anger in India about Turkiye's stance on Pakistan in the Pakistan-India conflict, the Indian government on Thursday revoked Celebi's security clearance in the 'interest of national security'. Celebi Airport Services India, in a May 16 filing seen by Reuters, asked the Delhi High Court to set aside that decision, arguing it would impact 3,791 jobs and investor confidence, and was issued without any warning to the company. 'Mere rhetoric of national security without elaborating upon in what manner is an entity a threat to national security is unsustainable in law,' the company said in the filing, which is not public. The order 'fails to disclose any specific or substantive reason except for a vague and general reference to 'national security'… (it) provides no reasons or justification,' it added. India's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is likely to be heard on Monday. In its filing, Celebi said that while its shareholders were registered in Turkiye, 'majority end control' of the group is held by companies that do not have Turkish incorporation or origin. India revokes Celebi security clearance over Turkiye support for Pakistan In revoking Celebi's clearance on Thursday, India's junior aviation minister Murlidhar Mohol said on X the government had received requests from across India to ban Celebi. 'Recognising the seriousness of the issue and the call to protect national interests, we have taken cognizance of these requests,' he said. The Shiv Sena party, a key ally in Modi's government, had held protests against Celebi in Mumbai this week, demanding the city's airport sever ties with it. Celebi in its filing said it was providing ground handling services at airports in New Delhi, Kerala, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Goa. It had undergone background checks and security verifications by various national security and intelligence agencies in India before starting work, it added. Delhi Airport late on Thursday said on X it had 'officially ended its association with Celebi' for ground handling and cargo operations. Reuters reported on Friday that Air India was lobbying Indian officials to halt rival IndiGo's leasing tie-up with Turkish Airlines, citing business impact as well as security concerns sparked by Istanbul's support for Pakistan.