New Delhi: 

The plane crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel campus soon after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.

It added: “Under the agreements made between Air India and Turkish Technic in 2024 and 2025, maintenance services are provided exclusively for B777-type wide-body aircraft. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in the accident does not fall within the scope of this agreement. To date, Turkish Technic has not conducted maintenance on any Air India aircraft of this type.”

 Turkey has dismissed claims that a Turkish firm was involved in the maintenance of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that went down in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Turkey’s Directorate of Communications Center for Countering Disinformation contended that the allegation the Turkish Technic conducted the maintenance of the Boeing 787-8 passenger aircraft was “false”.

Taking to X on Friday, it said: “The claim that the crashed aircraft was maintained by Turkish Technic constitutes disinformation aimed at manipulating public opinion regarding Turkiye-India relations.” The post came a day after an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed. The crash killed 241 people on board and many others on ground.

The Turkish centre also said that it was “aware” of the firm that carried out the most recent maintenance on the aircraft which crashed, but pointed out it was “beyond its scope to make a statement on this matter to avoid further speculation”.

It is almost a month since a Turkish firm, which managed services at nine major Indian airports, lost its security clearance due to Turkey’s backing for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

A Civil Aviation Ministry order on May 15 said the security clearance for Celebi Ground Handling India Private Limited was “revoked with immediate effect in the interest of national security”.

The revocation came after it was found that most of the drones launched by Pakistan at India on May 8 were Turkish-made, including the Asisguard SONGAR and the Bayraktar TB2.

It said: “The Center for Countering Disinformation will continue to monitor and take the necessary measures against efforts that target the reputation of our flagship brands, which represent Türkiye on the international stage. As the people of Türkiye, we sincerely share the grief of the Indian people over this tragic plane crash.”

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