Erdogan sacks adviser amid efforts to repair ties with Azerbaijan over headscarf row

Adviser’s removal meets demand from Baku as Turkey seeks to secure President Ilham Aliyev’s attendance at a Turkic states summit Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ankara, 22 October 2026 (Adem Altan/AFP) Published date: 25 October 2026 16:30 GMT | Last update: 7 sec ago Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sacked a chief adviser on Sunday in an effort to mend ties with Azerbaijan amid a dispute over a headscarf ban, Middle East Eye understands. Oktay Saral, a chief presidential adviser, confirmed his dismissal to MEE. “I have absolute respect for the president’s decision,” he said in a message. MEE understands that Saral was dismissed to meet Azerbaijani demands aimed at ending the crisis between the two countries, which share ethnic, cultural, religious and historical ties. A headscarf ban imposed by Azerbaijan in primary and secondary schools last month triggered protests in Turkey and criticism of Baku. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Saral also posted a message on social media at the time, criticising the decision and calling on Baku to reverse it. His comments drew a harsh rebuke earlier this month from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan Party, which urged Ankara to avoid hegemonic tendencies in the Islamic world. Ankara has been trying to persuade Aliyev to attend the Organisation of Turkic States summit in Turkey later this week. Inside the Turkey-Azerbaijan rift: How a headscarf ban strained an alliance Read More » Both Turkish and Azerbaijani readouts of a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday said Erdogan had invited Aliyev to the summit, but neither indicated whether he would attend. Turkish officials were concerned that Aliyev, angered by the protests in Turkey against the headscarf ban, might skip the summit. MEE reported last week that Azerbaijan had demanded that Ankara sack Saral, along with the prosecution of social media commentators who had insulted Aliyev. “Saral’s ouster would encourage Aliyev to participate in the Turkic states summit,” an Azerbaijani source told MEE. “Before this decision, the likelihood was less than fifty percent.” Earlier Turkish attempts to defuse tensions had failed to improve relations, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Baku prompting a wave of hostile coverage in Azerbaijani media. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.