Azerbaijan President Skips Turkic Summit Amid Diplomatic Rift

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan skipped the Organization of Turkic States summit in Ankara on October 30, despite a personal invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While Azerbaijani officials attributed the absence to a tight schedule and the FIFA U-15 World Championship in Baku, the move follows a period of heightened diplomatic friction between the two allies.

Tensions escalated after Turkish officials and social media users criticized Azerbaijan's September ban on hijabs in schools. The dispute intensified when Turkish presidential adviser Oktay Saral publicly criticized the policy, leading to his resignation on October 26, reportedly at Baku's request. Further straining relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan declared 31 Turkish nationals persona non grata and issued arrest warrants for seven others over social media posts criticizing the government.

Foreign policy divergences also contributed to the rift, specifically Azerbaijan's close ties with Israel while Turkey has criticized Israeli actions in Gaza. During the summit, President Erdogan attempted to project unity, stating there is "no place for separation, division, or conflict in our family picture." Azerbaijan was represented at the event by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.