Politics · Turkey · 3 hrs ago
Erdogan removes adviser amid dispute with Azerbaijan over school headscarves
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed adviser Oktay Saral as Ankara seeks to repair relations with Azerbaijan.
Saral confirmed he had left his post on Erdogan’s instructions and said he held no grudge.
The dispute began after Azerbaijan introduced school clothing rules that critics say restrict headscarves, though the rules do not explicitly mention them.
Azerbaijan says it is a secular state and sets its own rules, while critics in Turkey have raised concerns about religious freedom.
Saral publicly criticised the restrictions, and Azerbaijan’s ruling party rebuked his comments; reports said Baku wanted him removed.
His dismissal is intended to ease tensions as Turkey seeks to persuade Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to attend a Turkic states summit in Turkey later this week.
Aliyev’s attendance has not been confirmed, and earlier efforts to defuse the dispute had not improved relations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed chief adviser Oktay Saral on Sunday amid efforts to repair relations with Azerbaijan.
Saral said he had left his post on Erdogan’s instructions and had no resentment toward anyone.
The dispute followed Azerbaijan’s school clothing rules, which critics in Turkey described as a headscarf ban.
Saral had criticised the rules, and Azerbaijan’s ruling party had rebuked his comments.
Turkey has been seeking Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s attendance at a Turkic states summit later in the week.
- Who
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed chief presidential adviser Oktay Saral.
- What
- Saral was removed as Ankara sought to ease a dispute with Azerbaijan over school clothing rules.
- When
- Sunday, 25 October 2026.
- Where
- Turkey. The dispute concerns school clothing rules in Azerbaijan.
- Why
- The dismissal was intended to meet Azerbaijani demands and help mend ties. Saral had criticised the rules.
Azerbaijani government and supporters
Turkish critics of Azerbaijan’s school clothing rules
School rules
Azerbaijani government and supporters
Azerbaijan says it is a secular state and sets its own domestic rules.
Turkish critics of Azerbaijan’s school clothing rules
Critics in Turkey view the rules as restricting religious freedom and the right of girls to wear headscarves at school.
Sovereignty
Azerbaijani government and supporters
Supporters of the Azerbaijani government reject the idea that Turkey should direct Azerbaijan’s decisions.
Turkish critics of Azerbaijan’s school clothing rules
Turkish critics have challenged the rules and some have directed criticism at President Ilham Aliyev.
Azerbaijan introduced school clothing rules that critics in Turkey said amounted to a headscarf ban.
Saral criticised the restrictions on social media and said preventing headscarf-wearing students from accessing education was unacceptable.
Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party rebuked Saral’s comments and urged Ankara to avoid hegemonic tendencies in the Islamic world.
Erdogan invited Aliyev to the Turkic states summit in a phone call, according to readouts from both countries.
Erdogan dismissed Saral as Turkey sought to mend ties with Azerbaijan.
- Dismissed adviser
- Oktay Saral
- Turkish president
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- Azerbaijani president
- Ilham Aliyev
- Dismissal reported
- 25 October 2026
- Disputed policy
- School clothing rules in Azerbaijan
- Summit
- Organisation of Turkic States summit in Turkey later that week
3 sources
What people are saying
I have absolute respect for the president’s decision.
We are not defined by our positions. The president appointed me, and I left on his instructions. I have no resentment toward anyone.
Understand this: neither are you the big brother, nor are we the little brother.
Azerbaijan is pursuing a conscious and independent policy. We are following our own path. This path is one of development and progress, and we have achieved great success on it.
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Sayın İlham Aliyev! Azerbaycan’da öğrencilere yönelik başörtüsü yasağı kalksın yeter, biz gelemesek de olur. Siyonist katil Herzog’u Bakü’de ağırladıktan sonra hakiki dostlarınızı gözünüz görmez oldu. Bu da size yeter! Zira biz, Azerbaycan ile olan gardaşlık hukukunu sizden