TR Politics

Are they just banning the culturally invasive hijab, or are properly Turkish headdresses banned, too?

Herzog paid a visit to Azerbaijan today aboard an official aircraft provided by the host country. A military honor guard was drawn up at the airport in an area decked out with Azerbaijani and Israeli flags; Herzog reviewed the Azerbaijani troops alongside Deputy Prime Minister Samir Sharifov. Coinciding with the Israeli President's visit week(and today), the tightly state-controlled national media published a series of reports effectively telling Türkiye to "know its place"—with many high-profile outlets, such as *Azeri Times*, choosing to disseminate these stories/op-eds to the international public in English.

Had the exact opposite occurred—for instance, involving the President of Armenia—and had the national press simultaneously published English-language reports warning us not to meddle in their affairs and to "know our place," there wouldn't have been a single person in Azerbaijan who didn't curse the Turkish state.

This issue goes deeper than the matter of the headscarf ban—a major blunder that would later backfire to Iran's advantage. The İhvanist(and also 'mullahists')-aligned clique in Türkiye is a problem, but there is also a deep-seated zionist structure in Azerbaijan that acts as its mirror image with similiar function

2033 said:

but Aliyev has chosen Israel

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Aliyev has had quarrel with Russia, certainly with Iran for historical reasons and now with us: Only for Israel, I mean this Israel of Netanyahu? Frankly I am not sure. If he really chooses Israel and trust them, he must be out of his mind.

If he chooses to go against the logic, we have no choice but let him go that path. On the other hand, logic still exists in politics, especially in long term. He will sure remember this one way or another.

As someone who has long been a staunch advocate of the brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Turkiye and the unity of the Turkic world in this forum, I would like—with your indulgence—to highlight a couple more points, as the discussion on social media is now veering into truly absurd territory.

First of all, Turkiye did not interfere in elections the way Azerbaijan did. Because Azerbaijan viewed an AKP election victory as being in its own strategic interest at the time, it attempted to influence the elections even at the level of the head of state.

Nor did it establish national news channels to take sides in domestic politics (unlike the actions Azerbaijan took to bolster its image) in the national media.

Yet, despite all this, the Turkish public—excluding, of course, the "useful idiots" within the country—continues to defend Azerbaijan in latest issue, insisting that these are internal matters and that others should not interfere.

Beyond receiving the most extensive legal and financial support in the history of the Turkish Republic, Azerbaijan benefited from funding provided entirely by Turkish banks—including financing for the Petkim privatization, the STAR Refinery project (2014), a new terminal loan, and a syndicated loan (2021). Strategic partnerships were formed with THY (Turkish Airlines) and TPAO; customs duty and VAT exemptions were granted; EIA reports were fast-tracked without bureaucratic hurdles; and no support was spared to ensure Azerbaijan could rapidly prepare for the financial costs of the Karabakh war. Azerbaijan’s established investments in Turkiye are, at their core, a reflection of the Turkiye-Azerbaijan strategic partnership; they are by no means a one-sided phenomenon. I am writing this specifically because anti-Türkiye arguments particularly target these investments. All of these investments hold a strategic place in Azerbaijan's national output, which today exceeds $70 billion.

On the military front: Turkiye largely trained Azerbaijan's army to ensure victory—providing support so sensitive that some aspects cannot be detailed in open forums—and stood firmly behind its "brother" throughout the conflict, even at the risk of facing embargoes at critical junctures. It provided strategic military guidance when the war reached a stalemate, and immediately after the victory, it safeguarded Azerbaijan's gains via the Shusha Declaration; by preventing third-party intervention, Turkiye effectively equated Azerbaijan's national security with its own. Throughout the war and in the years that followed, hundreds of thousands of Turks—spanning the entire spectrum from atheists and Muslims to leftists and rightists—defended Azerbaijan's cause as if it were their own and battled disinformation day and night. The "hard power" that protects Azerbaijan's gains—including during the recent tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan—is the deterrent capability of the Turkish military. For Azerbaijan is Türkiye's eastern gateway, and Türkiye is Azerbaijan's western gateway. We share a common destiny.

Unlike Israel—which, despite providing technology in exchange for payment and intelligence, exercised caution in its rhetoric and refrained from openly declaring support for Azerbaijan (maintaining a political stance toward Armenia)—the Turkish state avoided such hypocrisy. Had a third country intervened at that time, Turkiye would have entered the war; indeed, Turkish military planners were already active on the ground at various points. This support has also come at a cost to Türkiye in European politics, yet this was not even mentioned.

Much more could be written. To cut a long story short, certain social media "perception agents" and figures in the national media within Azerbaijan seized upon a highly ambiguous statement—"we paid for whatever we received"—and, acting in unison as if following a cue, used it as a tool to "put Türkiye in its place," treating it as an indisputable fact that the remark was directed at Türkiye. We are a public well-versed in social media-driven psychological operations; it is not difficult to detect the foul odor here.

There is an action-reaction mechanism at play. One must look at the big picture, observing not only the handful of fools who were easily incited but also the clique that rationalized that reaction and began lashing out at Türkiye in an equally crude and dangerous manner. Azerbaijan’s bond with Turkiye is its path to sovereignty. Unfortunately, if this bond is successfully eroded and severed, Azerbaijan will find itself trapped in a quagmire from which it can never escape. I hope that reason prevails in both countries as soon as possible. My fear is not for Türkiye; rather, my primary concern is the suspicion that a major trap is being set for Azerbaijan.

Corvus said:

I don't see any official negative statement from any significant person here.

All I see is an AI made propaganda poster with random quotes from mysterious sources, that is clearly aiming to hurt Türkiye-Azerbaijan relationship.

I would like to ask once again; why did Aliyev decided to ban hijab out of nowhere and why he openly made negative statements? What is the general Azerbaijani view on this?

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Note the chronology of events: Azerbaijani authorities made a decision regarding school uniforms on September 21. On September 22, in New York, Erdogan issued a statement in which, among other things, he condemned a number of countries for Islamophobia, bans on wearing Muslim headscarves, and the like. Subsequently (?), an advisor to Erdogan named Saral made a statement that sparked deep indignation here. Around the same time, Aliyev—without naming names—voiced thoughts in a speech that some found unpleasant to hear. Local media believe that certain Turkish politicians are using religion to expand their influence at Azerbaijan's expense.

dBSPL said:

As someone who has long been a staunch advocate of the brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Turkiye and the unity of the Turkic world in this forum, I would like—with your indulgence—to highlight a couple more points, as the discussion on social media is now veering into truly absurd territory.

First of all, Turkiye did not interfere in elections the way Azerbaijan did. Because Azerbaijan viewed an AKP election victory as being in its own strategic interest at the time, it attempted to influence the elections even at the level of the head of state.

Nor did it establish national news channels to take sides in domestic politics (unlike the actions Azerbaijan took to bolster its image) in the national media.

Yet, despite all this, the Turkish public—excluding, of course, the "useful idiots" within the country—continues to defend Azerbaijan in latest issue, insisting that these are internal matters and that others should not interfere.

Beyond receiving the most extensive legal and financial support in the history of the Turkish Republic, Azerbaijan benefited from funding provided entirely by Turkish banks—including financing for the Petkim privatization, the STAR Refinery project (2014), a new terminal loan, and a syndicated loan (2021). Strategic partnerships were formed with THY (Turkish Airlines) and TPAO; customs duty and VAT exemptions were granted; EIA reports were fast-tracked without bureaucratic hurdles; and no support was spared to ensure Azerbaijan could rapidly prepare for the financial costs of the Karabakh war. Azerbaijan’s established investments in Turkiye are, at their core, a reflection of the Turkiye-Azerbaijan strategic partnership; they are by no means a one-sided phenomenon. I am writing this specifically because anti-Türkiye arguments particularly target these investments. All of these investments hold a strategic place in Azerbaijan's national output, which today exceeds $70 billion.

On the military front: Turkiye largely trained Azerbaijan's army to ensure victory—providing support so sensitive that some aspects cannot be detailed in open forums—and stood firmly behind its "brother" throughout the conflict, even at the risk of facing embargoes at critical junctures. It provided strategic military guidance when the war reached a stalemate, and immediately after the victory, it safeguarded Azerbaijan's gains via the Shusha Declaration; by preventing third-party intervention, Turkiye effectively equated Azerbaijan's national security with its own. Throughout the war and in the years that followed, hundreds of thousands of Turks—spanning the entire spectrum from atheists and Muslims to leftists and rightists—defended Azerbaijan's cause as if it were their own and battled disinformation day and night. The "hard power" that protects Azerbaijan's gains—including during the recent tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan—is the deterrent capability of the Turkish military. For Azerbaijan is Türkiye's eastern gateway, and Türkiye is Azerbaijan's western gateway. We share a common destiny.

Unlike Israel—which, despite providing technology in exchange for payment and intelligence, exercised caution in its rhetoric and refrained from openly declaring support for Azerbaijan (maintaining a political stance toward Armenia)—the Turkish state avoided such hypocrisy. Had a third country intervened at that time, Turkiye would have entered the war; indeed, Turkish military planners were already active on the ground at various points. This support has also come at a cost to Türkiye in European politics, yet this was not even mentioned.

Much more could be written. To cut a long story short, certain social media "perception agents" and figures in the national media within Azerbaijan seized upon a highly ambiguous statement—"we paid for whatever we received"—and, acting in unison as if following a cue, used it as a tool to "put Türkiye in its place," treating it as an indisputable fact that the remark was directed at Türkiye. We are a public well-versed in social media-driven psychological operations; it is not difficult to detect the foul odor here.

There is an action-reaction mechanism at play. One must look at the big picture, observing not only the handful of fools who were easily incited but also the clique that rationalized that reaction and began lashing out at Türkiye in an equally crude and dangerous manner. Azerbaijan’s bond with Turkiye is its path to sovereignty. Unfortunately, if this bond is successfully eroded and severed, Azerbaijan will find itself trapped in a quagmire from which it can never escape. I hope that reason prevails in both countries as soon as possible. My fear is not for Türkiye; rather, my primary concern is the suspicion that a major trap is being set for Azerbaijan.

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So,where is the reaction from our current government?

Corvus said:

I would like to ask once again; why did Aliyev decided to ban hijab out of nowhere and why he openly made negative statements? What is the general Azerbaijani view on this?

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Why not,i wouldnt like black ninjas walking in schools either.
Azerbaijan is not Iran.

They Arabized us. We started speaking like them, eating like them, dressing like them, and living like them. We forgot our actual genes and where we came from. Look, while Turkish women used to look like this,



they suddenly adopted Arab culture as their own culture.

TR_123456 said:

Why not,i wouldnt like black ninjas walking in schools either.
Azerbaijan is not Iran.

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Our Anatolian brothers completely fail to take into account that Azerbaijan is a genuinely secular state. If Turkey—like Iran—exerts strong religious pressure on us, I fear we will ultimately conclude that there is no real, fundamental difference between Turkey and Iran when it comes to religion. It is evident that we are facing intense pressure from both Iran and Turkey simultaneously.
This is strange and very sad.

Iskander said:

Our Anatolian brothers completely fail to take into account that Azerbaijan is a genuinely secular state. If Turkey—like Iran—exerts strong religious pressure on us, I fear we will ultimately conclude that there is no real, fundamental difference between Turkey and Iran when it comes to religion. It is evident that we are facing intense pressure from both Iran and Turkey simultaneously.
This is strange and very sad.

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political islamists are frauds, never ever give into their victimhood. Their basically the extreme left for Muslim majority nations. If they take power they plunge a nation into poverty and tyranny. They turn heroes into terrorists and terrorists into heroes.

Brother, no one is interfering with your laws. These criticisms do not constitute interference in your political system, either. People were simply voicing criticism. Not everyone in Türkiye is an Ikhwanist sympathizer or the like; thinking so is as foolish as claiming that all Azerbaijanis are *goyim*. In the past, there were far more intense protests against France, Germany, and Austria regarding freedom of religion, conscience, and the right to education. We did not interfere in the internal affairs of those states; while some addressed the issue within the framework of human rights and freedom of conscience, others—unfortunatly—instrumentalized it to serve their own agendas. Unfortunately, this is simply the nature of the business. What matters is patiently isolating and weeding out those with malicious intent; if you play into their hands, you only expand the audience they can manipulate.

A certain segment in Türkiye—specifically those who have long targeted the country and seek to turn this issue into a source of visceral hostility—is now attacking Azerbaijan using insolent language. Yet, I repeat: if you look at the main social media accounts driving this narrative, you will find a history of them criticizing Türkiye in even harsher terms—particularly during the Iran-Israel conflict. At the same time, there is a group within Azerbaijan that is just as dangerous and serves the same function as this destructive group; they began their activities simultaneously. If you analyze the "psyop" groups on X etc, you will understand what I mean. Those orchestrating the narrative merely set a snowball rolling from the top, and as nations—both Azerbaijan and Turkiye—we are so lacking in discernment regarding social manipulation that the effect has snowballed out of control.

The problem is that while these agents of influence press the buttons that trigger Azerbaijanis the most, the Azerbaijani branch of this operation simultaneously presses the buttons that trigger people in Turkiye the most. This situation could have been brought under control. Yet, while Aliyev’s words were being distorted and turned into rhetoric about "putting Türkiye in its place," a mere two-sentence official statement could have silenced the noise; at the very least, we could have managed the reaction on the Turkish side. This was the crux of the matter—the point people couldn't stomach and what swept them up in the backlash—not the headscarf issue or anything of the sort. But far from preventing this, so-called "special dossiers" were published in the Azerbaijani press promoting narratives of Turkish-Israeli trade and a "hypocritical Turkiye"; furthermore, some members of the press even attempted to lecture Türkiye.

And what was the fundamental argument? That Turkiye was interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs? For heaven's sake, can such a thing be said about a country that closed its border with Armenia due to the atrocities in Karabakh, subjected it to isolation, and never turned its back on its brother? A state that has borne the costs of the support it extended to Azerbaijan within EU commissions, and has even faced an embargo. Criticism is one thing, but the real question is: was there interference in your judiciary, media, or politics? Was there blackmail?

When the Zurich Protocols were signed between Turkiye and Armenia in Switzerland, Türkiye’s primary condition was Armenia’s withdrawal from Karabakh. Why didn't anyone say "one shouldn't interfere in internal affairs" back then? Or, when Aliyev claimed Turkiye had "stabbed us in the back," did we turn it into a social crisis, or did we stand by Azerbaijan? They lowered the Turkish flags at the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery in Baku. You took down the flags at the martyrs' cemetery where 1130 Turkish Soldiers rest which all of died for Azerbaijan indipendence ! They used the threat of cutting off economic ties with Turkiye as blackmail. Today, Türkiye is the biggest buyer of Azerbaijan's oil/gas, which opened it to the world also (including Israel) but did they not leverage natural gas pricing and delivery terms as bargaining chips during the price revision debates of the late 2000s?

Leaving that aside, the Aliyev administration in Baku has always closely monitored criticisms voiced by the media, intellectuals, or politicians within Turkiye and demanded that Ankara silence those voices. Azerbaijani state media, along with Aliyev-controlled media outlets and lobbies within Turkiye, have at times waged overt smear campaigns during Turkish general election periods against opposition figures perceived as likely to take a stance distant from Azerbaijan's interests.

In fact, Türkiye has interfered with Azerbaijan once; Moreover, the military coup attempt planned against the then President Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan in 1995 was prevented thanks to a critical intelligence warning made by Türkiye at the highest level. This issue is still a matter of debate today.

Look, if we were to delve into issues like interference in internal affairs or political blackmail, Aliyev would come off very poorly. However, the structure encasing Aliyev like a shell is so intolerant of criticism that it has not only reacted with extreme diplomatic harshness toward a fraternal country like Turkiye but has also deeply provoked us by treating Israel—which has openly threatened Türkiye with war—as a close ally. What is disheartening is that this is not the first time you have overreacted in this manner, and yet we will once again swallow it. You know that "big brother, little brother" dynamic often cited on Azerbaijani social media? That lies at the very heart of the matter. We will, sooner or later, silence the voices within the religious and devout segments of society. And we will forget the words that hurt us the most. For brotherhood.

Did Ilham Aliyev target Türkiye? What did Türkiye really do in Karabakh?

Did Ilham Aliyev take aim at Turkey? What did Turkey actually do in Karabakh? Did Ilham Aliyev attack Turkey? What did Turkey actually do in Karabakh? Statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the New Azerbaijan Party congress—"We were alone in the Karabakh war" and "We bought weapons at prices far above world market rates"—sparked significant controversy in Turkey and on social media. But did Ilham Aliyev really attack Turkey? What was Turkey's role in arms purchases between 2011 and 2020?

2033 said:

There is a huge breakup happening on Turkish social media. Azerbaijan is being harshly criticized. If a poll asked "What is your favorite country?" one month ago, Azerbaijan would have scored 99%. However, I am sure it will drop to 20% in a few months. The Turkish public is erasing Azerbaijan due to Aliyev's ungrateful statements and the hijab ban.

If Azerbaijan does not fix this mistake, our relations will never reach the "one nation" level again.

The hijab ban in schools is Azerbaijan's own doing, so I will not get into that topic. I think Aliyev has already prepared himself to break ties. Whether there is a hijab ban or not, Aliyev is already doing his best to cut ties with Türkiye.

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I've seen all the X posts by these Islamist accounts, heaps of bot activity too. These are the same accounts that have kadir mısıroğlu images as their cover photo.

If anything, I'd just say the Islamist troll network that was originally created to attack opposition has now damaged ties with Azerbaijan. Congrats.

At the same time, once this dies down you'll see how many people you've driven away from Islam. Congrats again. Bravo.

Special Forces

2033 said:

I haven't seen a single Azerbaijani say Aliyev made a mistake.

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The person who says this may have to say goodbye to the Azerbaijan Media Registry, depending on her role in society or the media. Opposition journalists and independent media outlets are required to register with the state's official Media Registry in order to operate. It is illegal for organizations and journalists to produce content if they are not listed in this registry or if they receive funding from abroad.

Furthermore, rallies were completely banned during the state of emergency imposed during the war. Although the war has ended, requests by the opposition to hold protests and rallies—particularly in major cities—continue to be systematically rejected by governorates, citing vague legal grounds such as "public safety" and the "risk of provocation." Meanwhile, opposition leaders and activists who stage unauthorized demonstrations face repression in the form of administrative fines or short-term prison sentences.

Also, following the amendment of the requirements for establishing a political party, more than 30 political parties have already been forced to cease operations or have been officially shut down.

In short, whatever Aliyev—or rather, the inner circle surrounding him—says is right! Aliyev has long since attained the level of freedom of expression that some in Türkiye dream of. By the way, I am not interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs—please do not misunderstand. After all, our own country is also on the verge of reaching virtually the same level of contemporary civilization.

dBSPL said:

The person who says this may have to say goodbye to the Azerbaijan Media Registry, depending on her role in society or the media. Opposition journalists and independent media outlets are required to register with the state's official Media Registry in order to operate. It is illegal for organizations and journalists to produce content if they are not listed in this registry or if they receive funding from abroad.

Furthermore, rallies were completely banned during the state of emergency imposed during the war. Although the war has ended, requests by the opposition to hold protests and rallies—particularly in major cities—continue to be systematically rejected by governorates, citing vague legal grounds such as "public safety" and the "risk of provocation." Meanwhile, opposition leaders and activists who stage unauthorized demonstrations face repression in the form of administrative fines or short-term prison sentences.

Also, following the amendment of the requirements for establishing a political party, more than 30 political parties have already been forced to cease operations or have been officially shut down.

In short, whatever Aliyev—or rather, the inner circle surrounding him—says is right! Aliyev has long since attained the level of freedom of expression that some in Türkiye dream of. By the way, I am not interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs—please do not misunderstand. After all, our own country is also on the verge of reaching virtually the same level of contemporary civilization.

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there would still be mass posts on social medias and such, apart from few videos from Azerbaijan, which were massively spread by Turks on twitter, there was nothing. Majority of Azerbaijan is irreligious and don't care about such things.

The point of the ban was to curb religious extremism being spread by Iran, and for some reason Turkey decided to chime in and make it an Israeli issue.

its pretty clear some of the higher ups in Turkey have no idea what they are doing, and trying to cause strain in relations with Azerbaijan, even though Azerbaijan is trying to prevent Iranian influence.

if Azerbaijan was trying to distance itself away from Turkey, it wouldn't sign $500 mil defense contract just a week ago, and SOCAR is about to invest additional $7 billion into Turkish economy. Azerbaijan is trying to maintain strategic relations with both Turkey and Israel, however some elements in Turkish government want Azerbaijan to pick a side, which we won't do.

Additional point I wanna make, which some Turks don't seem to understand, Azerbaijan lives in a tough neighborhood, Iran on one side and Russia on other, Azerbaijan needs all the allies it can get.

Re Nursultan Nazarbayev
Throughout his time as the first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev maintained a staunchly secular stance against the adoption of Arab-style Islamic clothing—including the headscarf (hijab)—arguing that it is alien to Kazakh national traditions.

No one questioned it.
Now Aliev is doing the same.
This is each country's internal affair.
Whether we agree with these decisions or not is irrelevant. It is their own internal affairs.
Any more dwelling on this subject will mean deletion of such posts and insistence will attract a lengthy holiday.

Corvus said:

Why do you think your worthless opinion should dictate other people's dressing and lifestyle? Who are you exactly to forbade women's right to have education and work?

View attachment 83582
And how are you not ashamed to LARP as a Turk while insulting Atatürk's wife and mother? How are you not ashamed to insult YOUR OWN grandmothers for generations?

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Atatürks mother is not alive to attend school in these times.
So,this stupid comparison of yours will not stand and since you have insulted an Administrator you will be banned for a week.
I have given people a way to express themselves without insulting each other because other admins asked me to soften up a bit.
This ends now,everything will be back to strict rules.
Every insult mistake or whatever wrongdoing will be punished immediately.
Another mistake after the week and you are out.
Your dumb insult wont work!

Honestly, I just don't understand what happened over the last few days, or what Azerbaijan is planning. Right now, Turkey is ruled by an Islamic/conservative party, and Erdoğan's core base will expect a response from him one way or another.

And with Azerbaijan sending that Israeli president through OUR skies on their plane, it makes me feel like "one nation, two states" is going to die out. With Russia being busy in Ukraine and Iran with the USA, they felt it was safe enough to make a pivot?

TR_123456 said:

Atatürks mother is not alive to attend school in these times.
So,this stupid comparison of yours will not stand and since you have insulted an Administrator you will be banned for a week.
I have given people a way to express themselves without insulting each other because other admins asked me to soften up a bit.
This ends now,everything will be back to strict rules.
Every insult mistake or whatever wrongdoing will be punished immediately.
Another mistake after the week and you are out.
Your dumb insult wont work!

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Classic islamist playbook stuff, really. People like this would have Turks ripping each other's throats out over arguments over Arab headdress and superstition.

The people falling for this convenient theatre of Turkiye/Azerbaican "falling out" need to ask the simple questions of "who does this benefit?" and "How does this harm us?"

Imagine how silly it is to throw away generations of brotherhood over something as like this headscarf ban? Both our nations are in a volatile geography surrounded by bad actors who'd love nothing more for the Turkish states to be at odds with each other.