Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reportedly dismissed his chief adviser Oktay Saral for his criticism of Azerbaijan’s school hijab ban. As tensions continued, Azerbaijani officials have met with several Turkish opposition figures.
The developments come amid a public dispute over Azerbaijan’s school uniform rules and criticism from Turkish political figures, including Saral. While Baku has framed such criticism as interference in its domestic affairs, Azerbaijani officials and ruling-party figures have stepped up their contact with Turkish nationalist politicians, with some pro-government voices presenting Saral’s departure as a political victory for President Ilham Aliyev.
Turkish journalist Talat Atilla quoted Saral on X, claiming that he was dismissed rather than resigning.
‘We are not people who exist because of our positions. Mr President appointed me to this position, and I left at his direction. I have no hard feelings towards anyone,’ Saral said, according to Atilla.
Asked whether his remarks about Azerbaijan had led to his departure, Saral replied, ‘Yes, it seems so.’
Oktay Saral had previously criticised Azerbaijan’s hijab restrictions, describing them as unacceptable. In a post on X, he wrote that they expected Azerbaijan to correct this mistake as soon as possible, adding that doors should be opened for young people’s future rather than creating obstacles for them.
In response, Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) issued a statement condemning Saral’s remarks.
Following reports of Saral’s departure, pro-government figures in Azerbaijan presented the development as a political victory for Aliyev.
Azerbaijani journalist Aziz Alibayli wrote that Saral’s departure should serve as a lesson to people like him, adding: ‘Azerbaijan is a secular state governed by the rule of law. School rules are determined in Baku, not by an adviser in Trabzon.’
Azerbaijan’s ruling party meets Turkish opposition
Amid tensions between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) has held a meeting with representatives of Turkey’s opposition Victory Party (Zafer Partisi), signalling potentially better ties between the two groups.
The meeting took place at YAP’s central headquarters in Baku on Saturday, as tensions between the two countries continued over restrictions on hijabs in Azerbaijani schools and criticism from Turkish political figures.
Tahir Budagov, YAP’s deputy chair and head of its central office, described what he called unexpected ‘biased campaigns’ against Azerbaijan as a serious historical mistake, saying this was particularly unacceptable at a time when relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey were at their highest level.
Budagov said Azerbaijan pursued an independent policy based on secular principles and that attempts to pressure the country were unacceptable. He added that Azerbaijan could not be diverted from its chosen path.
The meeting also addressed misunderstandings that had contributed to rising tensions between the two countries, as well as prospects for future cooperation between YAP and the Victory Party.
The meeting marked a new point of contact between the two parties, which had not previously maintained direct relations.
It also followed a series of contacts between Azerbaijani officials and Turkish nationalist political figures amid the tensions with Ankara.
On 23 October, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Turkey, Rashad Aslanov, met with Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), in Ankara. Although the MHP is formally an opposition party, it has been an ally of Erdoğan’s governing bloc in recent years.
Meanwhile, Cemal Enginyurt, an Istanbul MP from Turkey’s New Path Party (Yeni Yol Partisi), expressed support for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev by sharing an image of Aliyev alongside Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey. Enginyurt has previously been a member of both the MHP and the Republican People’s Party (CHP).