India vs Turkiye: Legal faceoff looms over Celebi's exit from Indian airports

India-Turkiye tensions escalate as Turkish firm Celebi prepares legal action against India's security-driven termination of airport service agreements.

Tensions between India and Turkiye are set to escalate into a legal battle, with Turkiye’s Celebi Hava Servisi AS preparing to challenge the Indian government’s decision to revoke its security clearance and terminate multiple concession and licence agreements. The decision, taken in the interest of national security, has effectively ousted the Turkish company from operations at several major Indian airports.

The crackdown on Celebi comes at a time when Turkiye has openly backed Pakistan and criticised India’s precision airstrikes under Operation Sindoor on terror camps and Pakistani airbases, drawing a firm and decisive response from New Delhi.

Celebi’s Indian Presence Comes to a Halt

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) acted swiftly on Thursday, revoking the security clearance for Celebi, a ground handling and cargo services provider, and thereby triggering an immediate suspension of its operations across key Indian airports.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation made it clear that national interest and public safety are “paramount and non-negotiable”, reflecting India’s no-tolerance stance toward any entity linked to nations that challenge its sovereignty or support terrorism.

Following the BCAS order, five entities linked to Celebi were forced to suspend operations — Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd (CASI), Celebi GH India Pvt Ltd (CGHI), Celebi Nas Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd, and Celebi GS Chennai Pvt Ltd (CGSC). These companies were operational at nine Indian airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad.

Despite being in India for over 15 years and employing more than 10,000 people, Celebi has now found itself on the wrong side of India’s national security red lines. In what appears to be an attempt to salvage its billion-dollar business, Celebi has stated it will “pursue all available administrative and legal remedies” to challenge what it called “unfounded allegations.”

Key Contracts Terminated Across Indian Airports

In a filing to Turkiye’s stock exchange, the company confirmed that four key agreements with Indian airport authorities — previously valid until 2030 and beyond — have been unilaterally terminated. This includes:

• A concession agreement with Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), valid till 2034, where Celebi had a 74% stake.
• A licence agreement with Ahmedabad International Airport Ltd (AIAL) valid till 2032, via CGHI, 61% owned by Celebi.
• Two agreements with Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) — one for bridge-mounted equipment services valid till 2036, and another for ground handling services valid till 2029 — through Celebi Nas, which is 59% owned by the Turkish company.
• A separate agreement between CASI (99.9% owned by Celebi) and DIAL, valid till 2030, was also terminated.

The company has claimed none of its subsidiaries engaged in any activity that violated Indian laws or national security. However, the timing of the revocation — just days after Turkiye’s diplomatic posturing in favour of Pakistan — is being seen as a strong geopolitical message from India that its airspace and critical infrastructure will not be compromised.

Legal Showdown Reflects Broader Geo-Political Tensions

In another filing, Celebi reiterated: “With reference to the BCAS order, our company will pursue all administrative and legal remedies to clarify these unfounded allegations and reverse the imposed orders.”

India, meanwhile, is not backing down. The Civil Aviation Ministry is coordinating with airport operators to ensure a seamless transition and to avoid disruption in services. Importantly, it also stated that steps are being taken to ensure that Celebi’s Indian employees are retained and absorbed by new service providers — a move that underlines India’s commitment to workers while sending a clear message to foreign entities.