Within a couple of weeks after winning a constitutional referendum that granted him greater powers, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is embarking on a two-day trip to India from April 30 accompanied by a huge business delegation.

His visit assumes importance at a time when India is aggressively seeking a seat in the exclusive club of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), which Turkey had previously opposed.

“We remain engaged with Turkey on NSG,” Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters here on Thursday.

The issue is expected to be discussed during Erdogan’s bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1, although the focus of talks is going to be counter-terrorism.

Turkey is one of the key members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and was one of those countries that had thwarted India’s effort to become a member of the grouping in early 2016.

Counter-terrorism On anti-terror cooperation, the MEA said there will be be a wide-range of talks even though it refused to comment on the presence of terror outfit – Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation (FETO) – within India.

Erdogan had faced a failed coup in July last year to topple him for which he blamed FETO.

The Turkish President is leading a huge business delegation consisting of 150 members in an effort to explore investment opportunities in India.

Interestingly, the visit will come days after the five-day visit of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, who is currently in India. Turkey does not recognise Cyprus as a result of which the political reunification of the Mediterranean island is on hold.

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