Turkey’s Celebi sues India: Who’s representing the firm in Delhi HC? A look at timeline and legal team

Turkey backed Pakistan amid its conflict with India. In a move to boycott Turkey, the Indian government revoked the security clearance of Turkey-based company Celebi in the “interest of national security”. Celebi Aviation Holding, which provides ground handling services at Indian airports, has now sued India over the decision.

The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear two pleas related to the case on Monday, 19 May. One plea was filed by Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd, and the other by Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd.

Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd were overseeing ground handling and cargo terminal functions, respectively. They challenged the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security's (BCAS) decision to revoke their security clearance, citing concerns related to national security.

Who will represent Çelebi in the Delhi HC today

The two pleas filed by the Turkish company on Friday were listed for hearing before Justice Sachin Datta in the Delhi High Court on 19 May.

Celebi was represented by Senior Advocate Darpan Wadhwa with Advocate Ritu Bhalla (Partner) at Luthra & Luthra, Bar and Bench reported.

Advocate Darpan Wadhwa is an alumnus of New York University School of Law and St Stephen's College, Delhi University, as per his LinkedIn profile.

He has handled several high-profile cases involving Canadian giant Viterra BV, Dabur India Ltd, Snapdeal Private Limited and Meesho Online Shopping Pvt. Ltd.

Advocate Ritu Bhalla is a “Partner - Dispute Resolution” at Luthra & Luthra. She pursued an LLB and a BA from the University of Delhi.

Her profile on the Company's website states that in her career spanning over three decades, she gained extensive experience in corporate commercial disputes and arbitration matters.

She specialises in litigation and dispute resolution in areas such as banking and finance, insolvency, regulatory, infrastructure, administrative, white-collar, etc.

Advocate Bhalla represented both Indian and multinational clients in various fora, including the Supreme Court, High Courts, NCLAT, NCLT, DRAT, DRT, quasi-judicial tribunals, and domestic and international commercial arbitrations.

Celebi airport services vs India's BCAS: A timeline and what happened so far

Here's an explainer on what Çelebi is, why this matter is significant and what we know about the case, timeline of events and the legal team involved.

What is Celebi?

CelebiAviation Holding is Turkey's first privately-owned ground handling services company. It stepped into the aviation industry in 1958 with the establishment of Celebi Ground Handling.

As per its website, 15,000 dedicated employees, Celebi continues to operate on three continents, in six countries and in 70 stations worldwide.

What did India do?

On 15 May, India’s Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) said it revoked the security clearance of Celebi and its associated companies “on grounds related to national security,” without specifying its concerns.

The security clearance to the company, part of Turkey's Celebi, was given in November 2022.

Why did India do this?

The move came amid calls to boycott Turkey over the latter’s support for Pakistan during a heightened conflict between arch rivals India and Pakistan. India claimed that Pakistan had used Turkish drones on a large scale in the military conflict with India.

The tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam killed at least 26 people. India then launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on 7 May in retaliation for the terror attack. At least nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK were targeted as part of the military operation.

Why India's move holds significance?

Celebi has been operating in the Indian aviation sector for over 15 years and has more than 10,000 staff in India. It handles around 58,000 flights and 5,40,00 tonne of cargo annually in India, according to its website.

Celebi offers services at nine airports in India. It is present at Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin, Kannur, Bangalore, Goa, Hyderabad Ahmedabad and Chennai airports.

Following the government's decision to revoke security clearance for Celebi, shares of Celebi Hava Servisi AS plummeted 20 per cent over two trading sessions on the Istanbul Stock Exchange, falling 222 points to 2,002 lira on May 16.

According to Business Today, the company's $200–$250 million investment in ground handling and cargo infrastructure across India risks being written off or repurposed.

After the boycott, Mumbai airport said on Friday that Indo Thai Airport Services will be carrying out the ground handling works at the airport for three months.

Meanwhile, multiple ground handling companies, including state-owned AIASL, Bird Worldwide Flight Services and Indo Thai, are onboarding the staff of Celebi Airport Services India at various airports, and fresh airport entry passes are being issued, industry executives said on Friday.

How did Celebi react?

In a statement issued earlier, Celebi Aviation India said it remains in full compliance with Indian aviation, national security, and tax regulations and operates with complete transparency.

According to news agency PTI, Celebi rejected all allegations regarding the company's ownership and operations in India and reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to the country's aviation sector.

The company also “categorically reject[ed] the false claim” being propagated around Sumeyye, Turkish President Erdogan's daughter, being a part owner in the company.

“For the record and in line with complete transparency, there is no one named Sumeyye owning any shareholding in the parent organisation,” the statement shared by ANI stated.

Celebi sues India, moves Delhi HC. Why?

Celebi launched a legal challenge to India's decision to overturn its security clearance, arguing that “vague” national security concerns were cited without reasoning.

In a 16 May filing seen by Reuters, Celebi Airport Services India asked the Delhi High Court to set aside that decision, arguing the move would impact 3,791 jobs and investor confidence.

It said that no warning was issued to the company.

“Mere rhetoric of national security without elaborating upon in what manner is an entity a threat to national security is unsustainable in law,” the company said in the filing, which is not public, as per Reuters.

The order “fails to disclose any specific or substantive reason except for a vague and general reference to ‘national security’... (it) provides no reasons or justification,” it added.

What’s next in the case?

Celebi's case will be heard in the Delhi High Court on Monday, 19 May. The hearing and the court's orders will determine the next course of action and the Turkish company's future in India.