Çelebi Aviation India has strongly refuted recent allegations circulating on social media regarding its ownership and operations in India as “misleading and factually incorrect”, amid growing controversy following the revocation of its security clearance by Indian authorities. The statement comes shortly after Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) terminated its contract with the Turkish-origin firm, citing security concerns, which Çelebi has firmly denied.
“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 official statement read.
In a detailed statement, Çelebi Aviation India emphasised that it is a professionally governed, globally operated aviation services company with a majority ownership held by international institutional investors from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Western Europe.
Çelebi Aviation clarified that 65% of its ownership lies with these international investors, with Actera Partners II L.P., a Jersey-registered fund, holding 50% of Çelebi Havacılık Holding A.Ş., and the remaining 15% owned by Alpha Airport Services BV, a Dutch-registered entity.
Çelebi Aviation was founded in 1958 by the Çelebioğlu family as Turkey’s first private and independent ground handling company. The company has been operating in India for more than 15 years and is a significant player in the private ground handling sector, directly employing over 10,000 Indians and supporting thousands of families.
According to the official statement released Çelebi Aviation has invested over $220 million in long-term infrastructure and operates at nine of India’s busiest airports.
Çelebi Aviation Clarifies Allegations
Addressing rumours of political affiliations and Turkish government links, Çelebi Aviation categorically rejected claims that it has any connections to the Turkish government or political figures.
The company specifically denied allegations involving Ms Sümeyye Erdoğan, daughter of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stating that she holds no shareholding or ownership in the parent organisation.
The Turkish shareholding is limited solely to members of the founding Çelebioğlu family-Mr Can Çelebioğlu and Ms Canan Çelebioğlu-each holding 17.5%, with no political affiliations or associations.
The revocation of security clearance by Indian authorities has intensified scrutiny of the firm.
Çelebi Aviation responded by reiterating that all its facilities, including the Delhi airport cargo terminal, comply fully with Indian aviation, national security, and tax regulations.
Çelebi Aviation also stated that their operations are regularly audited by Indian aviation and security bodies such as the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Çelebi expressed confidence that transparency, facts, and common sense would prevail over misinformation.
The controversy began when Indian security agencies raised concerns over the firm’s ownership structure and alleged links to foreign political entities, leading to the withdrawal of its security clearance-a critical requirement for handling sensitive airport operations.
Subsequently, Delhi’s IGI Airport announced it would cease its association with Çelebi, citing security protocols and national interest.
Çelebi urged responsible dissemination of information and appealed to media outlets and stakeholders to avoid amplifying speculative and inaccurate narratives that could jeopardise years of collaborative success and the livelihoods of thousands of employees and their families in India
Source:https://www.livemint.com/companies/celebi-aviation-denies-erdogan-s-daughter-holds-stake-as-india-pulls-security-cover-for-turkish-firm-11747326452232.html