Aliyev misses OTS summit as Erdoğan calls for unity

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not attend the 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara; the country was represented by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Erdoğan called for unity and thanked Baku for its chairmanship.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not attend the 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), which opened in Ankara on October 30. Azerbaijan was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

According to Azerbaijani agency Report.az, Aliyev presented awards that day to the finalists of the first FIFA World Cup and festival for players under 15 in Baku, and his participation in the ceremony had been scheduled in advance. The office of the Azerbaijani president did not issue a separate statement on the matter.

Group photo of participants at the 13th OTS summit in Ankara

“We are all united”

Speaking at the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: “There is no place for division, alienation or discord in the family photo of the Turkic world. We are all united, we are together and, God willing, brothers forever.” He said the group photo of the leaders had become “a symbol of loyalty to our past and the will to build a common future together.”

Türkiye took over the OTS chairmanship from Azerbaijan. “On behalf of the organization, I convey our congratulations to our Azerbaijani brothers for the efforts they made during their chairmanship,” Erdoğan said. He also said Ankara supports Baku’s contacts with Armenia and would continue contributing to the establishment of lasting peace.

Dispute over headscarves

Tensions emerged in relations between the two countries in recent weeks over restrictions on wearing headscarves in Azerbaijani schools. On October 25, Turkish President’s Chief Adviser Oktay Saral, who had criticized the restrictions, announced that he was leaving his post; on October 26, he announced that he had submitted his resignation. Citing Azerbaijani sources, several Turkish journalists linked Aliyev’s participation in the summit to the dispute, but Baku did not officially confirm such a connection.

On October 21, Erdoğan personally invited Aliyev to the summit during a phone call marking the 35th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s independence. On October 29, Aliyev congratulated Erdoğan on Republic Day, calling him his “dear brother.”

The summit, held under the motto “The Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Action,” is attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

Aliyev misses OTS summit as Erdoğan calls for unity