Azerbaijan President Skips Turkey Summit Amid Growing Tensions

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was absent from the Summit of Turkic States in Ankara on Friday, despite a personal invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Aliyev sent his Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, in his place, signaling a deepening rift between the two nations that describe their relationship as "one nation, two states."

The escalating tensions stem partly from Azerbaijan's recent decision to ban headscarves in schools as part of new uniform regulations. This move drew criticism from Turkish officials, including members of Erdoğan's ruling party, which Baku perceived as interference in its internal affairs. Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials warned against foreign intervention without naming Turkey, and Azerbaijan declared 31 Turkish citizens unwelcome in the country following social media criticism of Baku.

Ankara reportedly attempted to de-escalate the crisis. Erdoğan personally invited Aliyev to the summit in a phone call last week and dismissed one of his advisors, Oktay Saral, for publicly criticizing Azerbaijan's headscarf ban. Despite these efforts, Aliyev did not attend.

The Azerbaijani news agency Azeri-Press claimed Aliyev's absence was due to pre-scheduled events, including participation in a FIFA U-15 World Cup ceremony in Baku. However, no official statement was released by Azerbaijan.

In his opening speech, Erdoğan emphasized unity among the Turkic states without directly mentioning Azerbaijan, stating, "There is no room for separation, division, or conflict in our family picture. We are all one, together, and with God's help, we will be brothers forever." The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister offered thanks for the hospitality but did not address the tensions.

Disagreements also exist regarding relations with Israel. Turkey has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, while Azerbaijan maintains close ties with Israel in security and energy sectors. The differing approaches to Armenia also complicate relations, as Turkey seeks to normalize ties with Yerevan, contingent on peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and potentially reopening their shared border closed since the 1990s.

Despite the friction, both countries maintain strong security and economic ties. Turkey supported Azerbaijan in the 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh war and is a key buyer of its natural gas. A significant rupture could impact Turkey's ambitions to expand its influence in the Caucasus region, traditionally dominated by Russia.