Erdogan and Aliyev Reaffirm Alliance During Azerbaijan Victory Day

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey visited Azerbaijan on November 8, 2026, to join President Ilham Aliyev in celebrating the sixth anniversary of Victory Day. The commemorations marked the 2020 liberation of Shusha and the end of the Karabakh war. During events in Khankendi and Shusha, Aliyev highlighted the Great Return Programme, noting that over 40,000 residents have resettled in regained territories following more than €10 billion in infrastructure spending.

The visit served as a critical diplomatic reset following a public rift that began in September. Tensions rose after Azerbaijan banned Islamic headscarves in classrooms, prompting criticism from Turkey's Justice and Development Party. The dispute escalated when Azerbaijan declared 31 Turkish nationals persona non grata and Aliyev skipped an October 30 summit in Ankara. To ease the friction, Erdogan dismissed presidential adviser Oktay Saral, who had demanded the reversal of the hijab restrictions.

Beyond the school regulations, the leaders faced diverging foreign policies regarding Israel and Armenia. While Azerbaijan maintains close ties with Israel, Turkey has grown hostile toward the country over the Gaza war. Despite these pressures, Erdogan and Aliyev reaffirmed their "one nation, two states" motto during a joint news conference in Shusha. They pledged continued cooperation through the 2021 Shusha Declaration and the Southern Gas Corridor, while Erdogan expressed goals to expand Turkic unity through the Organization of Turkic States.