Strategic partnership or message to Turkey? – Firstpost

In a region known for power struggles and loud diplomacy, India is spreading its convergence with Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus quietly. All three countries carry their complex histories, with Turkey, which, from ‘Dost’ turned to ‘Drones’ against India. While India’s presence in West Asia has historically been shaped by energy needs and diaspora connections, this new equation reflects something deeper: a response to Turkish assertiveness that now crosses diplomatic boundaries.

New Delhi is not trying to form a new bloc. But in its quiet way, it is choosing sides, based on history, shared interests, and evolving threats.

Armenia: More Than an Evacuation Corridor

During the recent Israel-Iran conflict, the evacuation of over 4,000 Indians under Operation Sindhu saw both Armenia and India working together for evacuation through Armenia. The operation took place with little media coverage, but it sent a loud signal.

What few noticed at the time was that this event was built on an already growing relationship. India had, in recent months, supplied Armenia with defence systems and radars, support that was far from symbolic. Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan, where Turkish support plays a clear role, has pushed Yerevan to look for new friends. India answered, not with platitudes, but with practical help.

This is a significant shift. India’s policy toward post-Soviet conflicts has long leaned toward neutrality. But with Turkey vocally supporting Pakistan on Kashmir and increasing military cooperation with Islamabad, New Delhi has less room to ignore Ankara’s moves.

Greece: A Maritime Democracy with Familiar Concerns

Greece finds itself facing frequent airspace violations, maritime provocations, and a doctrine from Ankara dubbed “Blue Homeland”, that stretches the limits of regional patience.

In this current environment, India’s approach towards Greece has been careful yet evident. Recent visits by the Indian Navy, diplomatic interactions, and defence discussions have gone beyond mere formalities. They demonstrate a readiness to stand with a democracy facing similar challenges, such as territorial disputes, regional pressure, and confrontational neighbours with revisionist goals.

For India, Greece is more than just a European partner but also an important player in the India-Greece contribution to regional stability. Thus, the growing trust and partnership between the two democracies.

Cyprus: History, Geography, and Opportunity

The India-Cyprus relationship is fast evolving without headlines or fanfare. The 20-year silence was broken by the Indian PM’s visit with a strategic message that India is willing to back Cyprus on the question of sovereignty, even if it creates turbulence in Turkey. For Cypriots still living with the daily reality of a divided island, a legacy of the 1974 Turkish invasion, India’s position is not just appreciated, it is noticed as a payback for its adventurism with Pakistan.

Cyprus’ geostrategic location as a junction between the Middle East and North Africa is a strategic factor for India. Its proximity to the Suez Canal and shipping lanes and the need for a wider Indian footprint in the West without getting embroiled in regional rivalries. Energy cooperation, digital connectivity, education, and even defence remain areas of cooperation. Thus, what began with a handshake in Nicosia is being built into a larger canvas of partnership beneficial to both nations.

Why This Realignment Matters

India’s westward shift in diplomacy isn’t just a patchwork of new friendships. It’s a reflection of deeper strategic calculations of its foreign policy in complex geopolitical international relations. It not only spreads wings of Indian influence and friendship but also sends a strategic message to Turkey of India’s concerns on its alignment with Pakistan, support for Kashmir, and overtures to Islamist networks.

In Ankara, India sees not a direct adversary but a rising disruptor. Turkey’s support for Pakistan on international platforms has become louder, while its export of drones and defence technology to Islamabad gives its words more weight.

India’s answer has been both practical and principled. It hasn’t resorted to counter-rhetoric. Instead, it has chosen to support those who have experienced Turkey’s ambitions firsthand. Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus all share long-standing historical issues and present-day security concerns that closely resemble India’s strategic unease regarding Turkey’s stance. A collaboration will be a counterweight.

Anchored in Memory and Shared Outlooks

Each of the nations shares scarred memories, and the power of memory is the common denominator that binds. Pakistan’s proxy was Turkey’s covert and overt support. Cyprus division in 1974, the Greek-Turkish tensions, and Armenia’s 1915 genocide are realities that impact foreign policy and public opinion.

That said, India isn’t building this axis to antagonise Turkey. It is positioning itself to promote balance. This is not about encircling anyone. It’s about making sure no one tips the scales unchecked.

This Isn’t the Indo-Pacific Quad, and That’s the Point

Much has been made of the Quad, India’s partnership with the US, Japan, and Australia in the Indo-Pacific, and its limits of strategic calculus. But the realignment in West Asia is very different. It’s not driven by containment or built on military foundations. There are no joint doctrines or formal communiqués. It is bound by geopolitical realism, strategic security, economic potential, and a commitment to preserving sovereignty.

India is seen as a neutral actor, not part of the West’s interventionist past in the region. That credibility gives India room to manoeuvre and space to lead, not by dominating, but by building trust.

Next Steps: Giving Shape to Subtle Strength

If India wants this alignment to grow, it will need more than goodwill. India needs to institutionalise the momentum into a strategic partnership:

• Setting up regular discussion groups involving three or four countries to talk about strategy.

• Increasing cooperation at sea, which could include things like access to ports and joint naval exercises.

• Making sure our countries are sending a consistent message when we all speak at large international meetings, like the United Nations.

• Encouraging educational and tech partnerships between universities and research centres in our countries. Hosting cultural festivals, history symposia, and civil society exchanges to deepen societal connections

Such steps don’t require treaties or bases. What they require is intention and consistency.

Conclusion: A Strategic Balance Without the Bluster

India’s diplomacy in West Asia is entering a new phase. It is deliberate, grounded in relationships built quietly, and defined by patience rather than provocation. This isn’t the beginning of a new Cold War. Nor is it a tilt toward bloc politics. It’s something more mature: an effort to create a coalition of the balanced, in response to a region where one actor is tipping too far, too fast.

Through Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus, India is choosing to stand with partners who respect sovereignty, understand the cost of unchecked power, and share a vision of regional equilibrium. There may be no headlines celebrating this alliance. But over time, its impact could be far more enduring than any summit statement.

India isn’t building alliances for optics; it’s “planting flags of principle in places where history, sovereignty, and strategy intersect”. This is not about containment or confrontation. It’s about anchoring India’s presence where principles meet pragmatism alongside nations that understand the price of sovereignty and the cost of silence.

The author is former Director General, Mechanised Forces. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.