Erdogan visits Azerbaijan amid public rift between close allies

BAKU, Nov 8: Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan on Sunday for Victory Day celebrations, hoping to ease an unusually public rift between two close regional allies.

Tensions flared in September, when Baku revised school uniform regulations to prohibit additions deemed incompatible with secular education, effectively barring Islamic headscarves from classrooms.

Erdogan's government has dismantled restrictions on hijabs in Turkey.

Baku's move sparked protests at home and drew criticism from Erdogan's Islamist-rooted ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), including presidential adviser OktaySaral, who demanded that Azerbaijan reverse the restrictions.

Aliyev's ruling party, Yeni Azerbaijan, denounced such comments as "interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs".

Baku also declared 31 Turkish nationals, including an opposition lawmaker and party leaders, persona non grata over critical social media posts.�" AFP