Azerbaijan enforces strict public school uniform rules barring Islamic headscarves, sparking rare domestic protests and a diplomatic rift with Turkey. Authorities detained 37 people after female students and teachers were turned away from classrooms in Baku and southern districts. Oktay Saral, chief adviser to Turkish President Erdogan, condemned the restrictions as unacceptable, prompting Azerbaijan's ruling party to reject the criticism as defamatory interference.
Adoption of school dress code rules
- ▪Azerbaijan's dress-code regulations were extended to public school teachers on October 6, 2026, restricting headscarves for educators as well as students.
- ▪Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to school uniform regulations on September 21, 2026, prohibiting clothing that conflicts with secular education principles in state schools.
Student exclusions and school-level protests
- ▪Female pupils wearing hijabs gathered outside public schools in Baku and southern districts, boycotting lessons and protesting their exclusion from classrooms following the October 12, 2026 enforcement.
- ▪Students outside School No. 69 in Balakhany displayed a banner stating that the hijab does not prevent anyone from getting an education during demonstrations against the uniform rules.
- ▪Gulmira Aslanova, a parent in Baku, stated that administrators at School No. 172 barred her daughter from attending classes unless she removed her headscarf.
- ▪Azerbaijani public school administrations began enforcing the uniform regulations on October 12, 2026, turning away female students wearing hijabs in Baku and southern districts including Masally and Jalilabad.
Teacher Gulshan Aliyeva's entry refusal and response
- ▪Gulshan Aliyeva cited Article 16 of Azerbaijan's Labour Code prohibiting employment discrimination when challenging the ban on teachers wearing headscarves in public schools.
- ▪Gulshan Aliyeva, an English teacher with 23 years of experience in Baku, was denied entry to her school for wearing a headscarf alongside her daughter.
Police crackdowns and detentions
- ▪Activist Ilkin Huseynov disappeared from his Baku home on October 14, 2026, after creating 'Let Leyli Go to School', an online platform offering free volunteer lessons to excluded students.
- ▪Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry announced that police detained 37 people on October 12, 2026, for attempting to obstruct public order during demonstrations against the school uniform rules.
- ▪Protester Shahiza Huseynova was detained in Baku's Mashtaga district, where her husband reported police threatened her with imprisonment if her child was not sent to school without a hijab.
Diplomatic row and protests in Turkey
- ▪Azerbaijan's ruling New Azerbaijan Party issued a statement on October 13, 2026, rejecting Turkish officials' critiques as defamatory interference in internal affairs that risks damaging bilateral ties.
- ▪Oktay Saral, chief adviser to Turkish President Erdogan, called the Azerbaijani restrictions unacceptable on October 12, 2026, demanding that Baku reverse the headscarf ban.
- ▪Islamist groups Köklü Değişim and Özgür-Der organized demonstrations against the headscarf ban outside Azerbaijan's embassy in Ankara and consulate in Istanbul.
Opposition proposals on dress rules
- ▪Opposition REAL Party head Natiq Jafarli advocated that public schools establish compromise arrangements regarding headscarf regulations for primary school pupils.
- ▪Opposition REAL Party head Natiq Jafarli stated that imposing clothing restrictions on adult teachers in public schools is the wrong approach.
Lawmakers' defenses of uniform rules
- ▪Ruling New Azerbaijan Party lawmaker Elnara Akimova stated that the uniform amendments were intended to provide a neutral educational environment for students.
- ▪Azerbaijani lawmaker Nigar Arpadarai argued that children do not choose religious attire independently and that religious choice remains an adult prerogative.
Constitutional and legal arguments
- ▪Critics of the headscarf ban contended that the new school uniform rules violated provisions in Azerbaijan's Law on the Rights of the Child adopted in early 2026.
- ▪Articles 7 and 18 of Azerbaijan's constitution define the state and education system as secular, while Article 48 guarantees freedom of conscience.
International religious freedom assessments
- ▪The US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended in its 2026 report that Azerbaijan remain on the State Department's Special Watch List due to severe violations of religious freedom.
- ▪US Commission on International Religious Freedom head Vicky Hartzler argued that Azerbaijan should be designated a Country of Particular Concern due to government control over religious activities.
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