Allegations that students wearing headscarves are not being admitted to classes in state schools in Azerbaijan and that restrictions are being imposed on some teachers have turned into a political debate on the Ankara-Baku line. While footage circulating on social media shows some students being turned away from school gates, protests and class boycotts against the practice have come to the fore.
Reports citing the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that 37 people have been detained in connection with incidents related to the enforcement of dress codes. Authorities announced that the detentions were related to incidents alleged to have disrupted public order.
AKP figures from Turkey have joined the debate. Chief Advisor to the President Oktay Saral stated in a post on his social media account that preventing the right to education for students wearing headscarves is unacceptable. Using the phrase, "The headscarf is not an obstacle, it is a requirement of faith," Saral called on the Azerbaijani administration to reverse the practice.
AKP Group Deputy Chairperson Leyla Şahin Usta also said in a social media post, "We hope Azerbaijan turns back from this mistake as soon as possible. These are heartbreaking images that do not befit today's world." AKP MP Muhammet Müfit Aydın similarly called on Azerbaijan to end the practice.
'INTERNAL AFFAIRS' WARNING FROM BAKU
The New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), led by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, reacted to the words of the AKP figures in a statement released on October 13. The statement argued that "untrue, biased" and "slanderous" information about Azerbaijan has been published by some media outlets and social media accounts in Turkey.
The YAP stated that they have acted cautiously until now due to relations with the AKP and the historical ties between the peoples of the two countries; however, it claimed that the campaign against Azerbaijan has become systematic. The party emphasized that the headscarf debate should not be used as a tool for political manipulation and division.
The statement expressed that education rules in Azerbaijan are based on the principles of secularism, the rule of law, and equality. Stating, "We call on the AKP government to refrain from this harmful policy," the YAP asked political circles in Turkey to respect Azerbaijan's sovereignty, constitutional order, and internal affairs.
The party also stated that the principle of "One nation, two states" cannot be a justification for one state to interfere in the internal affairs of the other. The statement also addressed the claim that Azerbaijan's relations with Israel are being distorted; it was argued that Baku supports the rights of the Palestinian people and favors a two-state solution.
Rövşen Memmedov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Television (AzTV), said in his assessment regarding dress codes in schools that the headscarf is not banned, but that the rules determined in educational institutions must be followed. Describing the criticisms as "agitation" and "provocative theses," Memmedov said, "Everyone should be busy with their own people and state."
The Azerbaijan Media and Press Council also argued in its statement on October 12 that there is an attempt to politicize the debate. The Council stated that the spread of similar content on social media at short intervals and in a coordinated manner points to the possibility of information manipulation, and called for unverified content not to be shared.
News Source: 12punto
