HAMPI/VIJAYANAGARA : A tourist guide in Hampi expressed his strong displeasure against Turkey reportedly supplying weapons to Pakistan, by tearing an appreciation letter he had received from the Turkish embassy officials who visited Hampi last December. Virupakshi V Hampi tore the letter in front of Virupaksha Temple in Hampi on Thursday.
The letter was given to him by the officials who had visited Hampi and Ballari where a memorial for Turkish soldiers is located. Virupakshi said the entire world has condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and he doesn’t want an appreciation letter from a country that supports Pakistan.
Virupakshi said it’s unfortunate that Turkey supplies weapons to Pakistan that to at a time when tension is high along the INdo-Pakistan border.
In December, two officials — H E Firat Sunel, Ambassador of Turkey to India, and Orhan Yalman Okan, Consul General of Turkey in Hyderabad, visited the Turkey martyrs’ pillar in Ballari and paid tributes.
“The state tourism department and Vijayanagara district tourism officer Prabhulinga Talakere had given me an opportunity to guide them. They went back to the embassy and sent me an appreciation letter,” he said.
“I had a dream to join the Indian Army but it did not happen despite me making three attempts. Whatever my aim, my country and its safety is my top priority. I saw on national media that a flight carrying weapons had landed in Pakistan. So I decided that if any person or country supports our rival country, I don’t want appreciation from them and I tore that letter in front of the Virupaksha Temple. In the memory of Turkish and Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in World War I, a memorial was constructed in Ballari,” added.