Erdogan Bows to Azerbaijani Pressure, Sacks Adviser over Headscarf Controversy
The move follows Baku’s demand that Ankara remove Oktay Saral as Turkey tries to secure Ilham Aliyev’s attendance at a regional summit.
- On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed chief presidential adviser Oktay Saral to mend diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan following a dispute over a school headscarf ban.
- Azerbaijan demanded Saral's removal after he publicly criticized the country's headscarf ban in primary and secondary schools, which sparked widespread protests and criticism in Turkey.
- Confirming his dismissal to local media, Saral stated he had "absolute respect" for the president's decision, despite having posted that denying education to headscarf-wearing students is "unacceptable."
- Ankara aims to secure Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's attendance at the upcoming Organisation of Turkic States summit, as officials feared he might skip the event due to diplomatic tensions.
- The incident reflects deeper divergence between the two nations: Azerbaijan maintains strict state secularism, while Turkey has increasingly moved away from such policies since 2003.
21 Articles
21 Articles
The adviser to the President of Turkey, Octay Saral, resigned after he criticized the new rules of appearance for schoolchildren in Azerbaijan, reported the newspaper Cumhuriyat. Saral opposed Baku's decision on social media, calling it unacceptable to prevent school children from getting educated in religious clothes. He confirmed his withdrawal, adding that the decision had been taken at the direction of President Recep Tayip Erdogan, handed o…
Fuat Uğur, a journalist close to the government, claimed that Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral had been dismissed. Journalist Talat Atilla also reported that Saral told him he was dismissed on Erdoğan's orders and that he held no grudges against anyone. Last week, Azerbaijan also contacted Ankara regarding Saral's dismissal.
Following his remarks regarding Azerbaijan and the issue of headscarves, Presidential Advisor Oktay Saral was dismissed from his post. After this development, Saral stated, "Our President appointed me to this position, and I resigned at his instruction. I bear no ill will towards anyone."
Fatih Erbakan, leader of the Re-Establishment of Welfare Party, criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over his stance towards Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Referring to the headscarf ban controversy in Azerbaijan and the expectations of those affected by the stock market and investment fund scandal, Erbakan stated, "The President is not hesitating to sacrifice his own chief advisor because Aliyev wants it." In a statement made on his s…
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