Actor Aamir Khan Meets Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan 

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan met Bollywood actor Aamir Khan on Saturday (Aug 15) at the presidential residence at the Huber Mansion in Istanbul, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported

According to the agency report, the meeting was sought by Aamir Khan who wanted to update Erdogan about the work of Paani Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization established by the actor and his wife Kiran Rao, that works in the area of drought prevention and watershed management in drought-stricken districts of Maharashtra, India.

In a display of mutual admiration, the Bollywood star praised Erdoğan for supporting several humanitarian projects concerning the education of women and children while the first lady applauded the actor for “courageous handling of social problems” in his films.

The two also discussed about the several comparable aspects of Turkish and Indian cultures including food and handicrafts. The actor is also said to have shared memories of how his entry to cinema industry was shaped by the influence of his Muslim mother.

Incidentally, the Turkish First Lady had once praised the Ottoman-era harem as an "educational establishment" .

The meeting comes in the background of sharp deterioration in the official relationship between the two countries. Indian government officials have recently expressed serious apprehension on the funding received by radical Islamist organisations operating in Kashmir and Kerala from Turkish outfits backed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

As part of its Neo-Ottomanism doctrine, Turkey has been attempting to expand its influence among South Asian Muslims. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. has been attempting to project himself as the messiah of Muslims, much like the Ottoman Caliph. Erdogan has also trying to build an alliance of non-Arab Islamic countries along with a handful of countries including Pakistan’s Imran Khan and Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad.