Turkey's Ilker Ayci Declines Air India CEO Role, Says Tata Group Spokesperson

According to reports, the RSS has called on the government to block the appointment of Ayci as CEO of Air India citing his previous political links in Turkey, which has strained relations with India

Ilker Ayci was supposed to assume his responsibilities at Air India on or before April 1, 2022, according to Tata Sons. Image: Getty

New Delhi: Ilker Ayci, former chairman of Turkish Airlines, has declined to be the chief executive of Tata’s Air India, a Tata Group spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday, days after the announcement of his appointment led to opposition in India.

According to reports, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of BJP, has called on the government to block the appointment of Ayci as chief executive of Air India citing his previous political links in Turkey, which has strained relations with New Delhi.

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Ex-Turkish Airlines head #MehmetIlkerAyci, who was named as the new #AirIndia CEO-MD, has declined the position. A #TataGroup Spokesperson confirmed the development to IANS. However, no reason was given for Ayci’s decision.

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- IANS (@IANS) 1 Mar 2022

According to reports, there have been write reports that Ayci had links with an Al-Qaeda financer. He has to pass the mandatory security clearance from the Home Ministry. His appointment took many Indian aviation expert by surprise as Ayci is a former political aide to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, under whom the otherwise warm relations between India and Turkey hit a new low.  

A spokesperson for Tata Group, which recently took over debt-laden Air India in a $2.4 billion equity and debt deal, confirmed the development, without sharing further details.

According to Reuters, calls to Ayci went unanswered.

Ayci was supposed to assume his responsibilities at Air India on or before April 1, 2022, according to Tata Sons, which has acquired the national carrier from the Government of India.

Before being appointed CEO of Air India on February 14, Ayci resigned from the board of Turkish Airlines.

Ayci, 51, has held several positions in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. He also served as the CEO of several insurance firms from 2005 to 2011. Later, he was appointed the president of the Prime Ministry Investment Promotion and Support Agency, Turkey.

In 2013, Ilker Ayci became the vice-president of the World Association of Investment Promotion agencies and was promoted to chairman in 2014. He held this position until 2015. Ayci then joined Turkish Airlines and served as its chairperson.