Erdogan visits Azerbaijan in bid to ease rift between allies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Azerbaijan on Sunday to attend Victory Day celebrations and mend relations between the two allies. The trip comes after tensions flared in September when Azerbaijan imposed stricter school uniform regulations, effectively banning Islamic headscarves in classrooms. Turkey, which dismantles restrictions on hijabs, criticized the move.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and his ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party rejected Erdogan's comments as interference in the country's internal affairs. Furthermore, Azerbaijan reciprocated by placing 31 Turkish nationals, including opposition members, on a "persona non grata" list. Despite the strained relations, Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan's Fizuli district, which Baku regained from Armenian separatists in 2020.

Both leaders welcomed each other at the local airport, and Erdogan is set to hold a joint press conference with Aliyev in the afternoon. In a letter sent before the visit, Erdogan congratulated Aliyev on Azerbaijan's 2020 victory in the Karabakh war and expressed confidence in their continued cooperation and solidarity. Analysts point out that the dispute is indicative of deeper disagreements over Azerbaijan's diplomatic independence and its close ties with Israel.