Erdogan removes chief adviser to ease Azerbaijan tension over school headscarf ban

In response to a diplomatic row over Azerbaijan’s new headscarf ban in schools, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fired his chief presidential adviser, Oktan Saral, on Sunday. Saral had openly denounced the ban and called on Baku to rescind it, prompting a sharp response from the New Azerbaijan Party, which warned Ankara against hegemonic behavior. Azerbaijani officials are said to have insisted on Saral’s dismissal and on legal action against online critics of President Ilham Aliyev.

Turkish authorities hope the adviser’s ouster will improve the climate ahead of the Organisation of Turkic States summit, which President Aliyev has been invited to but may still decline. Earlier attempts to mend ties, including a visit by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Baku, had failed to ease the hostility in Azerbaijani media. The dismissal signals Ankara’s willingness to make concessions to preserve its strategic partnership with Azerbaijan.