“One nation, two states” to internal affairs and foreign relations

These days, protests are being held in Baku and other cities of Azerbaijan against the ban on wearing the hijab in schools.

At the end of September, the government of Azerbaijan changed the school uniform rules, prohibiting the wearing of clothes in schools that differ from the uniform or contradict the secular principle of education.

Oktay Saral, the chief adviser to the Turkish president, condemned the new restrictions on school uniforms in Azerbaijan, and emphasized that it is unacceptable to limit the right to education of students wearing headscarves in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s ruling “New Azerbaijan” party responded to Saral’s statement, urging not to interfere in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs.

The party reminded that Azerbaijan is a secular state and that the use of the hijab topic for political speculation and division of society does not serve the interests of either Turkey or the Muslim world.

The Azerbaijan-Turkey inter-parliamentary relations working group of the Parliament of Azerbaijan կոչ made Turkish politicians respect Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and constitutional order.

Head of Caucasus Muslims Department, Sheikhulislam Allahshukyur Pashazaden announced, that “in Azerbaijan, religion is separate from the state, and school is separate from religion.”

The spiritual leader of Azerbaijan also hinted that there are internal and external forces behind politicizing the issue of wearing hijab in schools and providing people against the leadership of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani spreading the state theses of Baku the media, which are not sequential are articles publish against the reactions of the Turkish side, they went further.

For example, report.az reminded Turkey about the Shushi Declaration, which, according to the Azerbaijani side, is based on the principles of independence, sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

Note that: Declaration of Shushi it is also clearly stated that “the parties implement an independent foreign policy aimed at ensuring and protecting their own national interests”.

Azerbaijani vesti.az went further, trying to decipher the slogan “One nation, two states”, on the basis of which the Azerbaijan-Turkey fraternal-strategic relations are built, moreover, it did not avoid reminding that Turkey itself faced a sharp conflict over the wearing of headscarves in educational institutions and state structures.

“The Brotherhood does not give the right to issue orders. Historical closeness does not cancel state sovereignty. “One nation, two states” is a formula for confederation, not a license to interfere in internal affairs. If the principle of “One nation, two states” is really important in Ankara, then it is time to prove it with deeds, respecting not only the common history of the two peoples, but also the right of each of the two states to decide their own future independently.

When some representatives of the ruling elite of Turkey try to dictate to Baku with whom to maintain relations and how to solve internal issues, they are undermining the very brotherhood, whose protection they call above all others,” the media wrote.

Naturally, Azerbaijan is particularly referring here to the strategic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel, which are particularly important in terms of security and defense.

“Baku supports the settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state principle, defends the legal rights of Palestinians and provides financial and humanitarian assistance to Palestine. At the same time, Azerbaijan maintains diplomatic relations with Israel based on its own state interests.

These positions are not automatically mutually exclusive. Relations between states in international politics are not subject to a simple test of loyalty. if you support one side of the conflict, you are supposed to break all relations with the other side.

by the way Turkey itself consistently supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, provides assistance to it, including military, but at the same time does not break diplomatic relations with Russia. the relationship and: maintains broad commercial and economic ties with it. And this is the sovereign right of Turkey, just as it is the right of Azerbaijan to independently determine the format of relations with Israelvesti.az continued.

Israel’s role in strengthening Azerbaijan’s military potential is significant before, during and after the 44-day war.

But Baku should not forget that it would not have won the 44-day war if it were not for the direct participation of Turkey and the military assistance of the Turkish generals, the actual headquarters of Azerbaijan. in management, then Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akari the role, Turkish intelligence and Turkish military direct to the battles participation etc.

Moreover, Turkey has always conditioned the settlement of relations with Armenia on the Karabakh issue and its solution in favor of Azerbaijan, but Baku has never said that the settlement of Armenia-Turkey relations should be considered separately.

We still put aside the fact that Baku itself is constantly trying to interfere in the internal affairs of Armenia, from the fight against “revanchist forces” and its position towards the Armenian Apostolic Church to the issues of the amendment of the Armenian Constitution and the policy of army building.

And in the field of foreign policy between Azerbaijan and Turkey, of course, there are visible and invisible issues, as well as some internal topics that have been activated from time to time. But, in a broad sense, it is difficult to expect a significant change in the nature of Azerbaijan-Turkey relations in the near future, although any option of developments in the more distant future cannot be excluded. In any case, such records of what one party thinks about the other at the moment of “anger” are important.