Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed chief presidential adviser Oktay Saral on Sunday, October 25, 2026, in a direct move to repair diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan following a high-stakes dispute over school dress codes, as reported by Middle East Eye. The ouster addresses specific demands raised by Baku after a diplomatic rift emerged over Azerbaijan’s implementation of a primary and secondary school headscarf ban last month. Oktay Saral confirmed his departure to reporters, stating in a message that he has absolute respect for the president’s decision.
The underlying dispute began when Azerbaijan introduced new restrictions on headscarves in educational institutions, triggering public protests across Turkey and sharp commentary from political figures. Saral publicly criticized Baku’s policy on social media at the time, calling for the decision to be reversed. Those remarks drew a severe political rebuke from the New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Ilham Aliyev, which cautioned Ankara against displaying hegemonic approaches in the broader Islamic world.
Diplomatic Stakes Ahead of the Turkic States Summit
The high-level dismissal comes as Turkish authorities work urgently to secure President Ilham Aliyev’s attendance at the upcoming Organisation of Turkic States summit in Turkey, scheduled for later this week. According to official readouts, Erdogan formally invited Aliyev during a telephone conversation on Thursday, October 22, 2026, though neither government immediately confirmed participation. Turkish officials privately expressed concern that lingering anger over the public demonstrations in Turkey might cause Aliyev to skip the regional gathering.
Reporting by Türkiye Today indicates that Azerbaijan had insisted on executive accountability, demanding both Saral’s dismissal and the legal prosecution of online commentators accused of insulting Aliyev. An informed Azerbaijani source told Middle East Eye that removing the adviser significantly alters the diplomatic calculus, noting that the likelihood of Aliyev attending the summit rose sharply from under fifty percent following the announcement.
Broader Regional Relations and Previous Friction
Bilateral friction between Ankara and Baku has persisted despite their foundational alliance and extensive ethnic, cultural, and historical ties. Previous attempts by Turkish officials to defuse the crisis had met with limited success. An earlier diplomatic mission to Baku by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was followed by extensive hostile coverage in Azerbaijani media outlets, illustrating the depth of the political sensitivity surrounding domestic religious policies in both capitals.
The Organisation of Turkic States remains the primary multilateral framework for coordinating policy between Ankara, Baku, and other member states. With the summit approaching, the removal of a key presidential adviser signals Ankara’s willingness to make significant personnel adjustments to protect its strategic partnership with Azerbaijan and ensure high-level representation at the multilateral forum.
The broader implications of this diplomatic realignment extend into how both governments manage public dissent and political commentary across digital platforms. Azerbaijani authorities had made it clear that institutional steps were necessary to restore full trust, framing the public criticism from Turkish political figures as an unacceptable intrusion into internal legislative matters. By acting decisively to remove Saral from his post, the Turkish administration aims to draw a definitive line under the recent tensions and re-establish the cooperative posture that traditionally characterizes bilateral engagements between the two allied states.
As preparations for the Organisation of Turkic States summit continue, regional observers will closely monitor whether Aliyev’s confirmed attendance materializes and how both leaderships handle outstanding issues, including the legal demands targeting social media commentators. The swift execution of the presidential adviser’s dismissal underscores the immediate priority Ankara places on repairing channels of communication with Baku ahead of critical multilateral discussions.