Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) has cancelled its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute with immediate effect. The university cited Turkey’s support for Pakistan’s terrorist activities as the reason behind the abrupt termination.
“The decision is taken in protest against Turkey’s support for Pakistan’s terrorist activities in the backdrop of Indo-Pak tensions,” the university announced in an official statement issued by the Registrar on May 15.
The MoU, originally signed on January 2, 2024, was for a period of five years. It enabled the introduction of a diploma course in Turkish language at the School of Languages, Linguistics & Indology at MANUU. Under this agreement, a visiting professor from Turkey was also appointed to conduct the programme.
The Registrar’s note added: “It is worth mentioning that on 2nd January 2024, MANUU signed MoU with Yunus Emre Institute, Turkey, for a period of five years, under which a diploma in Turkish language was started at the School of Languages, Linguistics & Indology, MANUU. Services of a Visiting Professor were hired for this.”
The university also confirmed that the Turkish visiting professor associated with the programme has already left India.
“It is also worth mentioning that the visiting Professor from Turkey has already returned to his country,” the statement said.
The cancellation comes amid growing concerns in India over Turkey’s geopolitical alignment and repeated instances of Ankara’s vocal support for Islamabad’s position on Kashmir and other regional issues.
Telangana: Maulana Azad National Urdu University’s MoU with Turkiye’s Yunus Emre Institute under scrutiny
By: Kunti Surender#Telanganahttps://t.co/pgHuLnIeCT
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) May 15, 2025
MANUU, a central university under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, is headquartered in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
On May 14, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) announced the suspension of its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Inonu University, Turkiye, citing national security concerns. The university administration stated that the decision would remain in effect until further notice.
“JNU stands with the Nation,” the university declared in a brief but assertive statement, making it clear that academic collaboration cannot come at the cost of India’s strategic interests.
