BAKU — Tensions have emerged between Azerbaijan and Turkey over restrictions on Islamic headscarves in Azerbaijani schools, prompting public protests and a sharp response from Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party (Yeni Azerbaijan) to criticism from Turkish political figures.
Several dozen people have reportedly been arrested in Baku amid growing demonstrations against the restrictions. Reports have also circulated that the vehicle of a school principal was set on fire.
The controversy began in September when Azerbaijani authorities introduced new regulations governing school uniforms. Although the rules do not explicitly prohibit the hijab, they stipulate that school attire must comply with the country’s secular principles.
Following the implementation of the new requirements, several schools reportedly prevented female students and teachers wearing hijabs from attending classes, triggering protests.
Police allege that some demonstrators damaged educational institutions and attempted to obstruct traffic. Pro-government media outlets have linked the reported burning of a school principal’s vehicle to the demonstrations, although no supporting evidence has been presented.
Dispute Draws Reaction From Turkey
The developments in Azerbaijan have also generated criticism in Turkey.
On September 23, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed restrictions on Muslim women’s and girls’ headscarves during the United Nations General Assembly, presenting the issue as a matter of religious freedom and women’s rights. However, he avoided directly mentioning Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party subsequently issued a strongly worded statement responding to remarks by Erdoğan’s chief adviser Oktay Saral and members of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The Azerbaijani party accused Turkish media outlets, including those close to the government, of repeatedly spreading false and defamatory information about Azerbaijan. It expressed particular concern over the involvement of senior Turkish officials in what it described as a campaign against the country.
The statement also rejected criticism of Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel, emphasizing Baku’s continued support for the Palestinian people, its humanitarian assistance, and its commitment to a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
Azerbaijan Emphasizes Sovereignty and Secularism
The New Azerbaijan Party stressed that Azerbaijan, like Turkey, is a secular state and that decisions concerning school uniforms and religious clothing fall exclusively within its domestic jurisdiction.
“No state has the right to impose its will on other Muslim nations, interfere in their internal affairs, or consider itself superior to others,” the party declared.
It also condemned remarks directed against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Referring to the longstanding slogan describing Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, the party emphasized that the principle of “one nation, two states” recognizes the existence of two independent and sovereign countries, rather than granting either state the right to interfere in the other’s internal affairs.
The statement reflects an unusual public disagreement between the governments’ political allies over religious freedom, secularism, and national sovereignty.
