The fallout from criticism of Azerbaijan’s ban on the hijab in schools has reached the Turkish presidency, after the newspaper Nefes reported that one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s senior advisers had been dismissed following a post criticising the decision.
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According to Bloomberg, Nefes quoted dismissed adviser Oktay Saral as saying that he respected Erdoğan’s decision.
Saral was quoted as saying: “It is entirely natural for certain decisions to be made in light of the various problems and difficulties countries face, particularly given our sensitive relationship with Azerbaijan.”
On October 12, Saral had criticised Azerbaijan’s ban on the hijab in schools in a post on X.
On Tuesday, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Ilham Aliyev, responded by accusing Saral and lawmakers from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party of interfering in the country’s affairs.
Turkey and Azerbaijan maintain close political, military and cultural ties, describing their relationship as “one nation, two states.”
Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic, has a predominantly Shia Muslim population but, after decades of Soviet rule, has emerged as one of the most secular countries in the Muslim world.
