Political friction in the Turkic alliance
I find that the decision by Ilham Aliyev to skip the Organisation of Turkic States summit in Turkey exposes a significant crack in the Baku-Ankara alliance. This marks the first time in almost 15 years of the OTS that Aliyev will not attend an official summit. Azerbaijani officials attribute his absence to a busy schedule, as Aliyev plans to attend the FIFA U-15 World Cup awards ceremony and the tournament’s official closing ceremony in Baku on Friday. However, the decision follows growing tension regarding hijab restrictions in Azerbaijani schools after new legislation prevented schoolgirls from entering certain institutions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chief adviser, Oktay Saral, and several AKP lawmakers criticized the restrictions. The New Azerbaijan Party described these statements as "interference in the country’s internal affairs." Saral left his position on 26 October, and media reports linked his departure to the discord. This political dispute mirrors previous instances of friction, such as when Erdogan skipped the informal OTS summit in Shusha in 2024 to attend a UEFA European Championship match in Berlin or the CICA summit in Baku on 15 October this year.
Diplomatic fallout and media reactions
The diplomatic distance stretches beyond school regulations to the selection of the next UN Secretary-General, where Azerbaijan supports the United Arab Emirates’ nomination of Lana Nusseibeh and Turkey promotes Feridun Sinirlioglu. Pro-government Azerbaijani media outlets have reacted sharply to the snub. The outlet APA accused circles in Turkey of conducting an "anti-Azerbaijani campaign" and called President Erdogan’s phone call to Aliyev "a belated gesture." The article also stressed that diplomacy was based on reciprocity. Journalist Ganimat Zahid reported on Facebook that YAP MPs did not attend a Turkish Embassy reception at Gulustan Palace to mark Turkey’s Republic Day. He noted that other pro-government parties and those not affiliated with YAP attended the event, while television channels received instructions not to broadcast reports from the event. Instead, the Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, represented Azerbaijan at the venue. The Azerbaijani outlet Time TV suggested that the disagreement stemmed from problems between the two countries’ leaders and argued that Aliyev might avoid the visit because he could face public protests in Turkey. I find that the reported instructions from Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, which allegedly told MPs to reduce contact with Turkish officials, clearly demonstrates the depth of this disagreement. Sahiba Gafarova also purportedly instructed MPs not to attend official events organized by the Turkish Embassy in Baku. Trend.az also published an analysis attributing Aliyev’s absence to a campaign against Azerbaijan and its president in Turkey. Turkish media outlets also questioned the decision, such as the newspaper Sozcu, which asked why Aliyev did not travel despite Erdogan’s personal call, and Yenicag, which questioned if the hijab controversy alone explained the dispute. During the summit, Erdogan stated "there was no room for division in the family photo of Turkic states" as Turkey assumed the OTS chairmanship.
