A dispute over headscarves in Azerbaijani schools has expanded into a wider debate about sovereignty, ties with Turkey and Baku’s ability to pursue an independent foreign policy, political analyst Eldar Namazov said.
Namazov made the comments in an interview with Novosti Kavkaza, arguing that sharp criticism from some Turkish political figures cannot be explained by religious concerns alone.
He said the controversy may also reflect disagreements over Azerbaijan’s close relations with Israel and over whether Turkey should open its border with Armenia before Baku and Yerevan complete their own normalization process.
Namazov stressed that statements by representatives of Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, should not be treated as the position of Turkish society as a whole.
“The statements made by Turkey’s ruling party and its representatives are not all of Turkey,” he said.
School Rules and Secular Education
Namazov drew a distinction between clothing requirements in state schools and the wearing of the hijab in everyday life. He said claims that Azerbaijan has imposed a universal ban on the Islamic headscarf distort the issue, noting that women wearing head coverings work, enter public institutions and participate in civic life.
He said he supports common school-uniform standards as part of a secular education system, while adding that officials should explain the rules to parents, engage the public and allow disagreement to be expressed through appeals and peaceful debate.
The revised school rules do not explicitly mention the hijab. They bar additional clothing deemed inconsistent with uniform requirements and the secular character of education. Reports that some students and teachers wearing headscarves were denied entry to schools have nevertheless triggered protests and criticism.
Bahceli’s Sovereignty Message
Namazov highlighted a statement by Devlet Bahceli, leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party, who called for respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and domestic law of Turkic states.
Namazov interpreted Bahceli’s intervention as evidence that there is no single critical position toward Baku within the Turkish governing coalition. Bahceli’s party supports President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.
Bahceli said cooperation among Turkic states should develop on the basis of mutual respect, equality and shared interests, while warning against attempts to sow division between Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Israel and the Armenia-Turkey Border
Namazov said one possible motive behind the campaign was dissatisfaction in some Turkish circles with Azerbaijan’s ties to Israel. He also pointed to pressure for an early opening of the Armenia-Turkey border, regardless of the pace of talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
He said Baku’s preferred approach has been for the two normalization tracks to move in parallel. In his view, opening the Turkish border first could reduce Armenia’s incentive to conclude negotiations with Azerbaijan.
The program’s host, Vasadze, offered another explanation, suggesting that statements by some AKP figures may be aimed primarily at Turkey’s conservative electorate and that heated media rhetoric does not necessarily signal a threat to bilateral relations.
Alliance Does Not Mean Uniformity
Namazov said shared linguistic and cultural roots do not erase differences among Turkic states, which have distinct neighbors, security concerns and foreign-policy obligations.
“It is impossible to bring everyone under one standard,” he said, arguing that respect for each partner’s independent choices must remain the basis of Turkic cooperation.
Azerbaijan needs Turkey and Turkey needs Azerbaijan, Namazov said, but close relations do not give either side the right to dictate the other’s domestic policy.
He also alleged that outside forces were trying to exploit the school dispute, linking some online activity and cyberattacks to Iranian and Russian influence networks. Those claims were presented as Namazov’s assessment and were not independently verified.
Source: Vesti Baku. Background on the school-uniform dispute was checked against Reuters and Bahceli’s statement as reported by Anadolu Agency.