Key facts
- Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev skipped a Turkic states summit on Friday.
- Tensions between Azerbaijan and Turkey have strained over headscarf restrictions in Azerbaijan.
- Azerbaijan has strong ties with Israel, while Turkey is a critic of Israel.
- Turkey has been working to normalize relations with Armenia.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's absence from a summit of Turkic states on Friday, despite a personal invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has highlighted growing tensions between the two historic allies. The strained relationship stems from Turkish officials' criticism of Baku's decision to impose restrictions on headscarves under new secular school uniform regulations, a move that Aliyev and other Azeri officials warned against as interference in their affairs. This dispute is seen as a symptom of deeper rifts, including diverging policies toward Israel, with Ankara being a fierce critic of Israel's actions in Gaza while Azerbaijan maintains strong ties with it. Turkey has also been working to normalize relations with Armenia, a move that is dependent on peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Amid tacit warnings against Turkey, Azerbaijan declared 31 Turkish nationals persona non grata over social media posts criticizing Baku.