Turkey stays silent as Azerbaijan tightens school dress code, sparking concerns over hijab ban
Turkey has not responded to Azerbaijan's new school dress rule, widely seen as a headscarf ban, even after President Erdoğan denounced such bans at the UN.
At the United Nations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned school headscarf bans as an attack on women's rights, without specifying any country. Days later Azerbaijan's Cabinet issued Decision No. 309, revising the uniform policy for state schools and excluding any mention of the hijab, but delegating enforcement to individual pedagogical councils. Media in Baku have described the change ambiguously, yet incidents such as girls being barred from Sumgait School No. 6 have been reported.
Turkish officials have remained silent, prompting independent Istanbul MP Mustafa Yeneroğlu and the NGO Özgür-Der to call for a response. Pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Akit linked the development to Turkey’s own past headscarf restrictions, while protests outside the Azerbaijani consulate in Istanbul highlighted the issue. The dispute unfolds amid the close “One Nation, Two States” alliance between Turkey and Azerbaijan, raising questions about religious freedom and bilateral ties.
Why it matters
The silence risks straining Turkey-Azerbaijan ties and highlights broader concerns over religious freedom in the region.
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