BAKU, Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan has declared 31 Turkish citizens undesirable and barred them from entering the country, the Foreign Ministry said on Oct. 21.
The list includes Turkish lawmaker Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu and New Welfare Party leader Fatih Erbakan. Other people named include HÜDA PAR deputy chair Yahya Uğraş, former Hagia Sophia imam Mehmet Boynukalın, and journalists Yusuf Kaplan and İsmail Kılıçarslan.
The ministry said the decision was taken under Azerbaijani law after authorities reviewed public statements and calls circulated on social media and other online platforms.
In its statement, the ministry alleged that the material targeted Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, national security, constitutional order, people and leadership. It also cited what it described as calls for the violent overthrow of the government, religious radicalism and the incitement of religious hatred.
The statement said all 31 people had been placed on the country’s list of undesirable persons and prohibited from entering Azerbaijan. It did not specify how long the restrictions would remain in force.
The ministry’s official news page published the announcement as statement No. 406/26. APA also reported the full list. The original Russian-language report is available from Vesti Baku.