Azerbaijan sent Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to Friday’s Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit in Ankara in place of President Ilham Aliyev, as recent policy strains tested its alliance with Turkey, Reuters reported.
The OTS notice scheduled the leaders’ 13th summit for Oct. 30 in Ankara, as noted in EconoTimes’ earlier summit coverage. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said he invited Aliyev during a phone call last week. Reuters reported that worsening ties could complicate Ankara’s effort to expand its regional influence.
Some Turkish officials criticized Azerbaijan’s new secular school uniform rules restricting headscarf use. Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials warned against outside interference without naming Turkey, Reuters reported. Earlier this month, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry designated 31 Turkish nationals persona non grata, citing online criticism of Baku.
Azeri-Press Agency attributed Aliyev’s absence to “previously planned events” and a tight work schedule, including a ceremony and a FIFA U-15 World Cup festival in Baku. Reuters said Azerbaijan had not commented officially on the absence.
At the summit, Erdogan called for unity, saying there was “no place for separation, division, or conflict” in the group. Bayramov thanked Ankara for its hospitality after Erdogan spoke but did not address the bilateral tensions.
The governments describe their relationship as “two states, one nation.” Their positions on Israel differ: Azerbaijan maintains close ties with Israel, while Turkey has criticized Israel over the Gaza war. The countries also maintain defense ties, and Turkey is a major buyer of Azerbaijani natural gas.
Gonul Tol, director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkish program, called the headscarf dispute “a symptom of a deeper rift” in a post on X. Tol’s post also cited differences over Israel, Ankara’s role in Baku, Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and Turkey’s moves to restore ties with Armenia. Turkish officials have tied any move toward normalizing relations with Armenia to progress in peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and have identified opening the border as a possible step.
