At present, the geopolitical equation of South Asia is changing rapidly on the pages of international diplomacy. After Pakistan, now Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has set his sights on India's eastern neighbor Bangladesh. The way Türkiye is increasing its closeness with Bangladesh through aggressive diplomacy and defense agreements, New Delhi's strategic concerns have increased considerably. Defense experts believe that this 'Islamic campaign' of Erdogan and the new diplomatic alliance can prove to be a big signal for India's strategic interests and a big challenge in the future. Since this geopolitical turmoil, discussions have started from global forums to Indian security corridors as to what is the real intention of Turkey behind this new equation and how harmful it can be for India. Turkey's 'Neo-Ottoman' policy and its move to expand its footprint in South Asia Turkish President Erdogan has been continuously working on an ambitious 'Neo-Ottoman' foreign policy for the last few years. Under this, Turkey wants to re-establish its old historical and cultural reputation among Muslim majority countries and is trying to become the new Caliph or leader of the Islamic world by challenging the leadership of traditional Saudi Arabia. Along with balancing its relations with Western countries, Ankara is now continuously expanding its sphere of influence in Asia and especially the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Its old and close military-diplomatic alliance with Pakistan is well known, and now on the same lines, by taking advantage of the changing political circumstances of Bangladesh, Turkey is trying hard to expand its strategic foothold there. Penetration into Bangladesh through defense agreements and arms deals The most dangerous aspect of the growing relations between Turkey and Bangladesh is the huge surge in defense and military cooperation. According to recent reports, Bangladesh has signed several major defense deals with Türkiye. Dhaka has shown keen interest in purchasing Turkey's famous Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, missile systems, armored vehicles and other modern military equipment. Apart from this, talks between the two countries regarding long-range air defense systems and co-production are also in the final stages. Turkish navy and defense companies are providing modern combat training to the special forces of Bangladesh Army. Defense experts say that Turkey's defense exports are not just commercial, but through this it wants to make a permanent military presence in the strategic region of the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Why is this a matter of concern for India from strategic and security point of view? From India's point of view, this increasing proximity of Turkey with Bangladesh on the eastern border is no less than an alarm bell. After Pakistan, now the increasing influence of a country on India's eastern front which has been continuously adopting anti-India stance on issues like Kashmir, can become a strategic headache for New Delhi. Apart from this, Indian security agencies are also keeping a close eye on the activities of some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and radical ideological groups associated with Türkiye. Recently, some such maps and ideological agendas were also revealed in which objectionable things were propagated regarding the North-Eastern states of India and West Bengal. Regional security experts believe that if this new informal axis of China, Pakistan and Turkey becomes stronger on the ground, then India will have to be more alert on the security front on both its maritime and land borders. India's diplomatic response and future strategy: India's diplomatic and strategic institutions are keeping a very close eye on this entire incident. India has been continuously striving to maintain strong and trusting relations with its neighboring countries under its Neighborhood First policy, but there cannot be any compromise on issues of sovereignty and national security. India needs to further strengthen its naval strength and intelligence along its maritime borders, especially in the Bay of Bengal. In the coming times, through diplomatic talks and regional agreements, it will be very interesting to see how India balances the increasing interference of Turkey and other external powers in its neighboring country and makes its security impenetrable.
