Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party, or YAP, has criticized statements by Turkish presidential adviser Oktay Saral and lawmakers from Türkiye’s governing Justice and Development Party, urging them to respect Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.
YAP’s press service issued the statement on October 13, according to Vesti Baku, citing APA and Report.az.
The party said some Turkish news outlets and social media platforms, including resources it described as close to the AKP, had circulated false, biased and defamatory allegations about Azerbaijan. YAP said it had previously shown restraint because of the partnership between the two parties and the close ties between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, but argued that the involvement of a presidential adviser and ruling-party lawmakers required a public response.
School Rules and Secular Government
The dispute has centered in part on Azerbaijan’s school-uniform rules and religious symbols. YAP said education policy is based on equality, secularism, the rule of law and equal opportunity, and rejected attempts to use the headscarf issue as political pressure against Azerbaijan.
The party also dismissed criticism of Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel. It said Baku supports a two-state settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, as well as protection of civilians and compliance with international law.
YAP said insulting and defamatory statements about President Ilham Aliyev on some information platforms had caused anger in Azerbaijani society.
Message to the AKP Leadership
The party called on the AKP leadership to prevent conduct that could damage Azerbaijani-Turkish relations. It said the phrase “one nation, two states” recognizes two independent countries and cannot justify one state interfering in the other’s domestic affairs or imposing political and ideological positions.
YAP urged Turkish officials and lawmakers to show political responsibility, respect Azerbaijan’s constitutional order and avoid actions that could create artificial tension between the two countries.