Turkey-Azerbaijan ties strained over headscarf and Israel

ISTANBUL — Turkey and Azerbaijan have come under strain over Baku's restrictions on the Islamic headscarf in schools and differing positions on Israel, according to Arab News and BBC Persian reports published on 18 October 2026.

Oktay Saral, chief adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called Azerbaijan's school uniform rules "unacceptable" in a post on X. He wrote that wearing a headscarf is a requirement of faith and expressed the hope that Baku would reverse the measure. The ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party responded with a statement criticising Saral and AKP lawmakers for what it called populist and irresponsible remarks.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after meeting Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku that the bond between the two countries remained unshakable. He said the sides sometimes held different views but discussed issues in a civilised way. Kursad Zorlu, deputy head of the AKP, said problems would be resolved "within the family," according to Arab News.

Azerbaijan's government has not publicly commented on relations with Turkey, according to BBC Persian. Its rules, introduced in September, bar students and teachers wearing headscarves from educational institutions.

It is not clear whether Ankara will take further steps on the issue. BBC Persian reported that the move may be linked to Erdogan's long-standing position on headscarf restrictions, but this has not been confirmed by officials.

Background

Turkey and Azerbaijan have promoted the slogan "one nation, two states" and have deepened ties over the past decade. Ankara's ties with Israel are severely strained over the war in Gaza, while Azerbaijan has grown closer to Israel since the 2020 Karabakh war, according to Arab News. Analyst Fuad Shahbazov said Baku now resists pressure from external actors, including Turkey.