Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev's decision not to attend the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Summit held in Ankara on October 30 has brought the tensions that have accumulated in relations between the two countries recently back to the agenda.
In an analysis evaluating Aliyev's decision not to go to Ankara, the Azerbaijan-based APA News Agency argued that a campaign is being waged in Turkey against Azerbaijan. The agency claimed that the debates have grown particularly over Azerbaijan's relations with Israel and regulations regarding school uniforms in the country.
The disputes between Turkey and Azerbaijan became more visible following a social media post directed at Azerbaijan by Oktay Saral, a former chief advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his subsequent dismissal. In this atmosphere, Aliyev's absence from the summit was interpreted in the Baku press as a political message.
In APA's October 29 analysis titled "Why didn't President İlham Aliyev go to Turkey?", it was alleged that certain political and religious circles in Turkey want Azerbaijan to shape its foreign policy according to Ankara's expectations. The agency characterized this approach as an attitude that ignores Azerbaijan's sovereignty.
The analysis argued that Azerbaijan's political and economic relations with Israel were being targeted, while recalling the relations Turkey had developed with Israel in the past and asserting that a "double standard" was being applied in the criticisms.
APA also reported that six protest demonstrations were held in front of Azerbaijan's diplomatic missions in Ankara and Istanbul, and that harsh accusations against the Azerbaijani administration and its people were voiced during these demonstrations.
In the agency's analysis, it was also argued that Aliyev's absence from the summit in Ankara was not diplomatically unusual. In this context, it was recalled that Erdoğan did not attend the OTS Informal Summit held in Shusha in July 2024, and that Turkey was represented by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz.
APA noted that Erdoğan did not attend the 13th session of the World Urban Forum held in Baku in May 2026, and that Turkey was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the CICA Summit in Baku on October 15, 2026.
In the conclusion of the analysis, while it was stated that the emphasis on "brotherhood" in Turkey-Azerbaijan relations would be preserved, it was assessed that states would prioritize their own interests more in the period ahead.
News Source: 12punto
