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- October 16, 202612°
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Azerbaijan’s school headscarf dispute spills onto Turkish streets
School dress rules that have kept headscarf-wearing girls out of class in Azerbaijan triggered protests outside the country’s missions in Ankara and Istanbul. Police blocked the entrance to the Istanbul consulate with vehicles.
The dispute over headscarves in Azerbaijani schools has spread beyond the country’s borders. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of people demonstrated outside Azerbaijan’s embassy in Ankara and its Consulate General in Istanbul, where police cordoned off the building and blocked the entrance with service vehicles.
Protesters demanded the restrictions be lifted, chanting, "The hijab is God’s command; it cannot be banned!" There were no reports of scuffles or detentions.
What is happening in Azerbaijan
The dispute erupted after reports that students and teachers wearing headscarves were being turned away from schools under new dress code rules that took effect in September. Protests were held at schools in more than 10 districts, and 37 people were reportedly detained.
Tension ahead of Fidan’s visit
The issue has turned into a diplomatic spat. Turkish presidential chief adviser Oktay Saral said on Oct. 13 that restricting headscarf-wearing girls’ right to education was unacceptable, while Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party accused some Turkish politicians and media of a smear campaign and noted that Azerbaijan, like Türkiye, is a secular state.
The developments come as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan prepares to travel to Baku for the CICA summit on Oct. 15. There has been no official word on whether the headscarf issue will come up in his meetings.
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