Azerbaijan defended on Tuesday its decision to introduce school uniform rules that have led to protests over restrictions on Islamic headscarves, and told close ally Turkey to stay out of its domestic affairs.
Azerbaijan, whose constitution separates religion from the state and guarantees freedom of religion, is a secular former Soviet republic with a predominantly Muslim population.
The dispute threatens to strain relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, and highlights the challenges Baku faces in enforcing secularism.
The government introduced rules last month that prohibit school pupils from wearing clothing that departs from the official school uniform or is incompatible with the secular character of state education.
The rules do not explicitly mention the hijab, but some protests broke out this week after reports that some pupils and teachers wearing Islamic headscarves were being denied entry to schools.
The Interior Ministry said on Monday that 37 people had been detained for disrupting public order while opposing enforcement of the rules.
The governing Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) on Tuesday criticised an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and lawmakers from Turkey’s ruling AK Party for speaking out against Azerbaijan’s new rules.
The adviser, Oktay Saral, wrote on social media on Monday that it was “unacceptable” to deny the right to an education to Azerbaijani students who wear headscarves.
“A headscarf is not an obstacle; it is a requirement of religious belief,” he said. “We expect Azerbaijan to reverse this mistake as soon as possible.”
In a statement, YAP condemned Saral’s comments as “populist and irresponsible” and said they risked harming relations between the close allies, adding that the new rules were based on equality, secularism and the rule of law.
It said Turkey was also constitutionally secular and warned Ankara against using Azerbaijan’s education policies for political purposes.
The principle of “one nation, two states” — used to describe the countries’ close ties — did not justify interference in each other’s domestic affairs or the imposition of political and ideological views, YAP said.
It also rejected criticism of Azerbaijan’s close relations with Israel, saying they were based on international law and mutual interests.