AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The dispute intensified after Azerbaijan introduced new school uniform regulations last month prohibiting clothing or accessories deemed incompatible with the secular character of public education.
Although the regulations do not explicitly ban the hijab, videos circulating online reportedly show schoolgirls and female teachers wearing headscarves being denied entry to public schools in the capital, Baku, and other parts of the country.
Baku Cites National Security Concerns
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said those placed on its list of undesirable persons had used social media and online platforms to publish content that allegedly targeted the country’s sovereignty, national security, constitutional order, population and leadership.
The ministry accused the individuals of calling for the government’s violent overthrow, promoting religiously motivated extremism and inciting religious hatred. It did not provide specific examples of the content cited in its decision.
The ministry also warned that further measures could be taken in the future.
Turkish Politicians and Journalists Among Those Barred
Among those reportedly included on the list are Fatih Erbakan, leader of Turkey’s New Welfare Party; Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a Turkish parliamentarian; and Yahya Oğraş, deputy leader of the HÜDA PAR party.
Journalists, bloggers, writers covering religious affairs and a former official of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, are also reportedly among those affected.
The decision has triggered criticism and anger on Turkish social media.
Addressing Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Erbakan said lifting the restrictions on schoolgirls wearing hijabs would be sufficient, even if he and others remained barred from entering Azerbaijan.
He also criticised Aliyev’s hosting of Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Baku while emphasising the longstanding brotherhood between the Turkish and Azerbaijani peoples.
Gergerlioğlu also condemned the move, describing the ban on himself and 30 others as “ridiculous.” He accused Aliyev’s government of authoritarianism and restricting freedoms.
Journalist Calls Blacklisting a Badge of Honour
Turkish journalist Hakkı Eren, whose name reportedly appears on the list, said Azerbaijani authorities had acted because of his participation in protests against the hijab restrictions outside Azerbaijan’s embassy and consulate in Turkey, as well as his social media posts.
He said being placed on the list was not a source of shame but a badge of honour, adding that he would not retreat from speaking the truth.
The decision followed an announcement by Azerbaijani authorities on Friday that legal proceedings had been initiated against Celal Çiftçi, a writer and journalist with the Turkish newspaper *Şanlıurfa Olay*. He was accused of advocating the violent overthrow of the government and promoting religious extremism, according to the report.
Turkish Officials Criticise School Regulations
The dispute has also drawn criticism from Turkish officials. Oktay Saral, a senior adviser to Turkish President Erdoğan, previously condemned Azerbaijan’s school regulations, describing the restrictions as unacceptable and arguing that wearing the hijab was a religious obligation.
Saral called on Azerbaijan to reverse the measures as soon as possible.
A day after his remarks, Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by Aliyev, accused unnamed parties of conducting an increasingly systematic campaign to spread misleading and defamatory information about the country.
Secular Education Rules Fuel Wider Debate
Azerbaijan approved amendments to its school uniform regulations on September 21, presenting the changes as a measure to reinforce the secular character of public education. The amendments followed a July decree by Aliyev concerning the implementation of standardised uniforms in state educational institutions.
However, the implementation of the rules has sparked a wider debate over the boundaries of school uniform requirements and the right to wear religious clothing.
The controversy has exposed differences between Baku and some Turkish political and religious figures over secularism, religious expression and the treatment of Muslim students in public schools.
Despite their close political and military ties, the dispute over the hijab restrictions has become a source of friction between the two predominantly Muslim countries.
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