Aliyev's snub of Turkic summit brings Azerbaijan-Turkey tensions to fore

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev skipped a summit of Turkic states on Friday despite receiving a personal invitation from his Turkish counterpart. According to Al-Monitor and Free Malaysia Today, the absence highlights growing tensions between the historic allies regarding domestic and regional policies.

Free Malaysia Today reports that ties have become strained due to criticism from Turkish officials regarding Azerbaijan's decision to impose restrictions on headscarf use under new secular school uniform regulations. Azerbaijani officials have warned against interference in their affairs, though they did not specifically mention Turkey. Additionally, the two nations are at odds over Israel; Ankara is a critic of Israel regarding the war in Gaza, while Baku maintains strong ties with Tel Aviv.

Turkish officials have attempted to downplay these tensions. At the opening of the summit, President Erdogan delivered a message of unity, stating there is no place for division or conflict in their "family picture."

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Free Malaysia Today — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.