Azerbaijan Reveals Reasons Behind Aliyev's Absence from Turkish Nations Summit in Ankara

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev was absent from the Organization of Turkic States summit held in Ankara on October 30, bringing to the forefront the file of political tensions along the Ankara-Baku line.

On October 29, Azerbaijan's APA agency published an analysis titled "Why Did President Aliyev Not Go to Turkey?" in which it concluded that campaigns being conducted inside Turkey against Azerbaijan have led to an acute crisis of confidence between the two countries, with Ankara slow to contain them.

The analysis identifies three files that fueled the dispute: Baku's relations with Israel, school regulations related to official uniforms in Azerbaijan, and tweets by Oktay Saral, the former advisor to President Erdogan, and his subsequent dismissal. The agency attributes responsibility for leading these campaigns to what it describes as Islamist circles and groups connected to the Nur movement and close to the AKP party.

The analysis pointed out that six demonstrations were held in front of the Azerbaijani diplomatic missions in Ankara and Istanbul, which included direct accusations against Azerbaijani leadership and people. The agency criticized what it described as demands by certain Turkish circles for Baku to formulate its foreign policy in accordance with Ankara's expectations, considering this a disregard for Azerbaijan's sovereignty.

The analysis concluded by acknowledging the continuation of relations between the two countries, but explicitly warned that national interests will be the more decisive factor in the coming phase.