Sukhu demands ban on apple imports from Turkey: 'Hurting Himachal growers, will write to PM'

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said he would write to the Prime Minister seeking a ban on apple imports from Turkey, alleging that Turkish apples are hurting the interests of domestic growers in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

Speaking to reporters, Sukhu said, "For the past some time, apples imported from Turkey and America have hit apple growers of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. I will write to the Union government and the prime minister to ban apple imports from Turkey."

He said he would raise the issue personally during the May 24 meeting of all chief ministers convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Horticulturists worked very hard to make Himachal Pradesh an apple-growing state and growers feel disheartened when their produce do not fetch remunerative prices,” he said.

The Himachal apple industry is estimated to be worth Rs 4,500 crore, with thousands of families dependent on it. Many growers have raised alarm over falling prices amid rising volumes of imported apples, especially from Turkey and the United States. 

On the tourism front, the chief minister said Himachal Pradesh remains “a peaceful and safe state”, and invited visitors to enjoy its “fresh air and natural beauty.”

Sukhu's remarks come at a time when India is reviewing commercial and diplomatic engagements with Turkey following Ankara's continued support for Pakistan in the wake of Indian airstrikes on terror camps. 

On May 15, New Delhi revoked the security clearance of Turkish firm Çelebi Airport Services, one of the biggest players in India's airport ground handling sector. Following the security directive, Bengaluru International Airport announced that it had terminated its ground handling contract with Çelebi. This came after Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad airports had already severed ties with the Turkish firm.

India's shock decision to revoke security clearance for Çelebi's airport operations has wiped out nearly $200 million in shareholder value and gutted a third of the Turkish company's global revenue — marking one of the sharpest financial and strategic collapses in the aviation services sector this year.

Shares of Çelebi Hava Servisi AS plummeted 20% over two trading sessions on the Istanbul Stock Exchange, falling 222 points to 2,002 lira on May 16.

That drop dragged the company's market capitalisation down to Rs 10,700 crore (approximately 4.8 billion Turkish Lira), a staggering 30% below its recent 52-week high. The collapse was triggered by India's revocation of security clearance for Çelebi’s Indian subsidiaries — including Çelebi Airport Services India — on grounds of "national security".