New Delhi: Ilker Ayci, who has been nominated for the MD and CEO of Air India, has refused to accept the role. A Bloomberg report cited an e-mailed press release in Turkey by Ilkar Aisi.
According to the report, Aici said in his statement, “I have come to the conclusion that in the shadow of such a narrative, it will not be possible or an honorable decision to accept this position.” Significantly, his appointment was subject to security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs and he was expected to join duty on or before April 1.
Ruckus over ‘link’ to Kashmir
Let us tell you that Ilker Ayci was accused of having links with Pakistan and Al Qaeda. Aici said that questions were being raised on his appointment in the Indian media. At the same time, RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch criticized Air India for this decision.
Ai had been Erdogan’s advisor about two decades ago. Erdogan was then the mayor of Istanbul. When Aisi was married in November 2018, Erdoan also attended it. Erdogan has supported Pakistan many times on the Kashmir issue. He has said many times that Turkey will always support Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Erdogan has even compared Kashmir to Palestine and has been accusing India of atrocities in Kashmir.
