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Erdogan sacks adviser amid efforts to repair ties with Azerbaijan over headscarf row
Middle East Eye • • world
Key Points:
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed chief adviser Oktay Saral to ease tensions with Azerbaijan over a headscarf ban dispute in Azerbaijani schools.
- Saral had publicly criticized Azerbaijan's headscarf ban, prompting backlash from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s party, which accused Turkey of hegemonic behavior.
- Azerbaijan demanded Saral's removal and prosecution of social media critics of Aliyev as conditions to resolve the crisis and encourage Aliyev's attendance at the upcoming Organisation of Turkic States summit.
- Erdogan invited Aliyev to the summit, but concerns remained about Aliyev possibly boycotting due to the protests and diplomatic strain.
- Saral accepted his dismissal respectfully, which is seen as a move to improve bilateral relations and increase the chances of Aliyev's participation in the summit.
