Acrimony between historic allies Azerbaijan and Turkey has entered uncharted territory, where it may become difficult to walk back the moves already made and aspersions cast.
Azerbaijan and Turkey’s strategic partnership has long been characterized as “one nation, two states.” But those close ties quickly began to unravel in recent weeks after Turkish public figures assailed an Azerbaijani government move to revise the dress code for students in state schools, in effect banning hijabs and other religious attire from classrooms.
In response, state-controlled Azerbaijani media outlets launched a barrage of counter-criticism, characterizing the hijab issue as a domestic matter and telling Turkish critics to mind their own business.
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to defuse tension on October 18, the day Azerbaijan celebrates the reestablishment of its independence, sending his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev a congratulatory note. In it, Erdogan characterized Aliyev as a “brother,” adding that “we have always stood united in both joy and sorrow.”
But Baku was in no mood for conciliation.
The day after Erdogan sent his olive branch, Azerbaijan announced it was seeking international arrest warrants for seven journalists living in Turkey, accusing them of publishing material on social media that allegedly called for “the violent overthrow of the constitutional order” in Azerbaijan, as well as incited “enmity based on religious radicalism.”
Azerbaijani media outlets also fired a fresh barrage against the Turkish government, with some Azerbaijani analysts suggesting that Ankara was using the hijab controversy to distract domestic Turkish attention away from a brewing corruption scandal.
“This tactic has been used repeatedly by many rulers in many countries,” a commentary published October 20 stated. “But for the first time, this dirty trick is being used against a fraternal state.”
“The only question that needs to be asked is: what kind of dirty and vile soul must one possess to, for the sake of short-term political gain, distract society from the crimes of one’s own people, begin to destroy fraternal relations with Azerbaijan?” the commentary concluded.
Others in Baku bristled at what they perceived as a Turkish belief that Ankara is the senior partner in the special relationship.
“Alliance does not equal submission,” stated an editorial published by Vesti.az. “It’s one thing to criticize a specific decision, present arguments, and offer one’s own assessment. It’s another to assume that Azerbaijan is obligated to align its foreign and domestic policies with the ideological preferences of certain circles in Turkish society.”
Around midday on October 21, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry turned up the heat on the bilateral spat, announcing that 31 Turkish citizens, including journalists, scholars, clerics and one MP, had been barred from entering Azerbaijani territory due to their activities amid the hijab controversy.
Hours later, Erdogan made another attempt to smooth over hard feelings, holding a telephone call with Aliyev. The Azerbaijani leader’s reaction to the discussion was cool but held out the possibility that rancor may have peaked. A statement issued by Aliyev’s office made no specific reference to the hijab controversy while noting that both he and Erdogan were confident that “brotherly relations” could continue.
Subsequent to the conversation, however, mixed signals have come out of Baku. Some media outlets have toned down their criticism of Turkey while others have stayed on the attack.
Faig Mahmudov, a Baku-based regional analyst, wrote October 22 that the Erdogan-Aliyev phone chat didn’t necessarily resolve the differences stoked by the hijab issue. The call’s significance is that it shows “Azerbaijan and Türkiye have strategic interests that transcend temporary disagreements and politically charged public debates.”
Mahmudov added: “the most important question now is whether that commitment can be translated into more effective preventive diplomacy.”
It seems the main gripe among Azerbaijani leaders at this point is that Erdogan hasn’t publicly chided the Turkish public figures who have criticized Azerbaijan.
“Turkish authorities do not always give a sufficiently harsh assessment of the actions of those who attack Azerbaijan, and do not take measures that could prevent a recurrence of such situations,” political analyst Alla Zeidullayeva noted.
To bring full closure to this episode, then, Baku appears to want Erdogan to make some sort of public act of contrition, such as giving Turkish figures who spoke out on the hijab issue a rhetorical rap on the knuckles. Erdogan has so far given no indication that he is willing to do so.
Failure to turn the page on the Azerbaijani-Turkish tiff in the coming days could make for a tense summit of the Organization of Turkic States, scheduled to be held at the end of October in Ankara. Turkish media outlets noted that Erdogan during his October 21 call with Aliyev invited the Azerbaijani leader to attend the summit. But there was no immediate confirmation that Aliyev had accepted the invitation.
As long as the dispute simmers, Aliyev may wait until the last moment to make a decision. In 2025, amid an Azerbaijani feud with Russia over the accidental shootdown of an Azerbaijani civilian jetliner, Aliyev abruptly cancelled plans to fly to Moscow to participate in Victory Day celebrations on Red Square.