‘Not Turkish company by any standard’: Celebi debunks ‘misleading’ ownership claims as airports across India cut ties

Ground-handling major Celebi Aviation India has strongly defended its presence in the country, dismissing as “completely false” the allegations that led to the termination of its contracts at India’s top airports.

The clarification came after Centre revoked the firm’s security clearance over national security concerns, triggering Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad airports to officially end their association with the Turkish-origin company.

In a statement issued Thursday, Celebi Aviation said recent claims on social media — including rumours about its ownership and political links in Turkey—are “misleading and factually incorrect.”

One of the major allegations doing the rounds was that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s daughter, Sümeyye Erdoğan, owns a stake in the company. Celebi has categorically denied this, calling the claim completely baseless. “There is no individual named Sümeyye who owns any shares in our parent company,” the statement clarified.

Also Read:Turkey faces heat as Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports end ties with Ankara’s Celebi over support to Pakistan

Who actually owns Celebi Aviation India?

According to the company, 65 per cent of it is owned by international investors from countries like Canada, the US, the UK, Singapore, UAE, and others. The Turkish ownership, it said, is only with the founding family siblings Can and Canan Çelebioğlu who, they insist, have no political connections.

“We are not a Turkish organisation by any standard and adhere fully to globally accepted practices of corporate governance, transparency, and neutrality, with no political affiliations or links to any foreign government or individuals,” the firm said, adding that its India operations are entirely run by Indian professionals and have nothing to do with Turkish politics.

Celebi has been operating in India for over 15 years and employs over 10,000 people across nine major airports. The company says it has invested more than $220 million in infrastructure here and is “deeply rooted” in the Indian aviation ecosystem.

Also Read:Indian traders may boycott Turkey, Azerbaijan over support to Pakistan; CAIT key meet on May 16 

So why were they shown the door?

The trouble began after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked Celebi’s security clearance, reportedly due to national security concerns and in the backdrop of rising tensions between India and Turkey. In recent years, Turkey has drawn criticism in India for siding with Pakistan on several sensitive issues.

Following the BCAS directive, Delhi Airport was the first to cut ties with Celebi. Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports followed suit, issuing coordinated statements and announcing the immediate termination of their contracts with the company.

The airports also clarified that all existing Celebi employees will be retained by the new service providers to avoid any disruptions.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol later confirmed the move, saying it was made in response to growing concerns from Indian citizens.  “We have received requests from across India to ban Celebi NAS Airport Services India Ltd, a Turkish company operating ground handling services at Indian airports,” Mohol said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Celebi is urging for “responsible reporting” and cautioning against the spread of misinformation. The company reiterated that all its operations in India are regularly audited by agencies like the CISF, BCAS, and AAI, and that it remains fully compliant with Indian laws and security norms.