Key facts
- Erdogan said he would visit Baku on November 8 to attend Victory Day celebrations, hoping for "the opportunity to take the necessary steps".
- Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev skipped a Turkic states summit in Ankara last week despite a personal invitation from Erdogan.
- Turkish officials' criticism of Azerbaijan's headscarf restrictions led Azeri officials to warn against interference in Baku's affairs.
- Erdogan removed one of his advisers over the adviser's public criticism of the headscarf decision.
President Tayyip Erdogan said on November 5 that he believed ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan could overcome all obstacles, and that he would visit Baku on November 8 to attend Victory Day celebrations. Speaking to reporters on a return flight from South Korea, Erdogan said he hoped the visit would provide "the opportunity to take the necessary steps", without elaborating.
"Our relations with Azerbaijan go way beyond classic diplomatic contacts. The unbreakable bond between the countries is the product of our joint history, culture, destiny, and, God willing, our future," Erdogan said, according to a transcript of his comments shared by his office. He added: "There is no obstacle that the brotherhood between Turkey and Azerbaijan cannot overcome."