Erdogan visits Baku as Turkey seeks to mend ties with Azerbaijan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has traveled to Azerbaijan at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev to attend 'Victory Day' celebrations, marking a high-level effort to smooth over recent diplomatic strain. Tensions surfaced last September when Baku implemented new school dress code regulations that effectively barred veiled students and teachers from educational institutions. The policy sparked criticism from Ankara, prompting Baku to label the remarks as interference in its internal affairs. Despite incidents such as Aliyev’s absence from a summit of Turkic-speaking nations and the firing of an Erdogan advisor who criticized the Azerbaijani stance, both countries remain focused on their deep strategic interests in energy and defense. Through this visit, coinciding with the anniversary of the liberation of Shusha, Erdogan aims to restore unity and navigate the geopolitical differences between the two nations regarding state policy and religious oversight.