Several questions are on the minds of Indians regarding Sümeyye Erdoğan. Her name came into focus in the media after India took action against Turkey’s alleged involvement with Pakistan against India. Although Turkey did not directly involve itself, Pakistan used Turkish-made drones in strikes against India, and India successfully intercepted all of them. Additionally, President Erdoğan had publicly expressed support for Pakistan amid the India-Pakistan tensions.
In response, India swiftly terminated the contract of the well-known Turkish airport services company, Çelebi Aviation Holding, which manages services at several major Indian airports. On Thursday, the Centre announced the immediate revocation of security clearance for Celebi Airport Services in the interest of national security. The following day, the termination of Celebi’s operations at Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad airports was officially declared. This decision came after reports emerged that the Pakistani army used Turkish drones against India during the recent conflict. Now reports are coming where in it says that Sumeyye Erdogan has stakes in Çelebi Aviation Holding.
Who Is Sumeyye Erdogan?
Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar is a Turkish businesswoman and the youngest daughter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Emine Erdoğan. She was born on August 22, 1985, in Istanbul. She graduated from Araklı İmam Hatip High School in Trabzon and, after not achieving her desired university entrance exam results in 2002, pursued higher education in the United States with a scholarship. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and politics from Indiana University Bloomington and a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics. She also studied Arabic at Jordan University.
Political Advisor To Prime Minister
Sumeyye served as a political advisor to her father during his tenure as prime minister, notably in 2013. He served as the prime minister from 2003 to 2014. She has three siblings: Ahmet Burak, Necmettin Bilal, and Esra. Sumeyya also worked as a consultant for the Justice and Development Party (AKP), monitoring foreign relations. In 2014, she started to focus on civil society work. For that, she left the consultant role of the Justice and Development Party. Sumeyye is also the co-founder and the Vice-President of the Women and Democracy Association(KADEM), which was established in 2013. The association promotes women’s rights and gender equality. In 2010, she became a partner in the food company Doruk Izgara alongside her brother, Bilal Erdoğan. On May 14, 2016, she married Selçuk Bayraktar, a prominent Turkish engineer and CEO of Baykar. They have two children. Selcuk Bayraktar is a prominent defence entrepreneur and the son of Ozdemir Bayraktar. Selcuk heads Baykar Defence, the company that produces the Bayraktar Akinci drones, advanced unmanned aerial vehicles used for military operations.
Is She Related To Celebi Airport Services
Several unverified reports suggest that she is one of the owners of the company, and the termination of its operations in India is seen as a significant move that could directly impact the Turkish President. However, the Indian government has not released any official statement or information regarding Sümeyye’s involvement with the company. Turkey has also remained silent on both her role and the company’s termination. However, the company has also rejected claim regarding Sümeyye Erdoğan’s daughter being a part owner. “For the record and in line with complete transparency, there is no one named Sümeyye owning any shareholding in the parent organisation. The Turkish shareholding is solely limited to members of the founding Celebjoğlų family; Mr. Can Celebjoğlu and Ms. Canan Çelebioğlu (each holding 17.5%)., nor any individuals with the same. The company was originally established in 1958 by their father as Turkey’s first private and independent ground handling company. Both siblings have no political affiliations or associations of any kind,” said the company.
Bayrakta Drones And Operation Sindoor
Turkey supplied Bayrakta Drones. Reports say that during India’s Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Air Force launched over 500 Bayraktar drones within just two days, targeting key Indian air bases. Fortunately, the Indian defence forces intercepted and shot down all of them, preventing any damage. However, the incident highlighted the strong military cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan. It also raised serious concerns about how President Erdogan and his close family members have directly benefited from international defence deals.
2013 Corruption Scandal
Her public life has frequently come under scrutiny. During the 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey- widely known as the 17–25 December Corruption and Bribery Operation- critics accused her of orchestrating social media campaigns and engaging in questionable financial dealings. While these allegations remain controversial and unproven, the scandal marked a major political crisis, implicating high-ranking officials and close associates of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), including Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar.
