A headscarf dispute with deeper roots

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev skipped a summit of Turkic states in Turkey on Friday, despite a personal invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the clearest public sign yet of growing strain between two countries that describe their relationship as “two states, one nation”. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov represented Azerbaijan instead, thanking Turkey for its hospitality without mentioning the tensions.

Ties have become strained in recent weeks over criticism by some Turkish officials of Baku's decision to restrict headscarves under new secular school uniform regulations. Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials warned against interference in Baku's affairs, without naming Turkey. Erdogan removed one of his advisers, Oktay Saral, this week after Saral publicly criticised the headscarf decision, and had personally invited Aliyev during a phone call last week, according to his office.

Wider disagreements

Analysts say the headscarf row is a symptom of a deeper rift. Gonul Tol, director of the Middle East Institute's Turkish programme, described Aliyev's absence as the latest sign of growing tensions. The two countries are also at odds over Israel: Ankara is a fierce critic of Israel over the war in Gaza, while Azerbaijan has strong ties with it.

Azerbaijan's foreign ministry this month declared 31 Turkish nationals persona non grata over social media posts criticising Baku. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after meeting Aliyev in Baku that disinformation was being spread on social media about Turkey-Azerbaijan ties.

What the absence does not settle

Erdogan delivered a message of unity at the opening of Friday's Organisation of Turkic States summit, and Turkish officials have sought to downplay the tensions. There has been no official comment from Azerbaijan on the reasons for Aliyev's absence, and Turkey's presidency and foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

The episode therefore shows a visible crack in a historically close alliance, but not a formal break — and the next test will be whether the two governments restore the usual pattern of high-level visits or let the dispute harden.

Sources: Reuters