Azerbaijan has added 31 Turkish citizens to its list of “undesirable persons” and banned them from entering the country.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision in a statement published on 21 October.
According to the ministry, the decision is related to statements made by the individuals on social media and other internet platforms that it said were directed against the sovereignty, national security and constitutional order of the Azerbaijani state, as well as its people and leadership.
The ministry said the individuals had called for the forcible change of government and made statements promoting violence based on religious radicalism, religious hatred and hostility.
The list includes journalists, bloggers, political figures, theologians and media representatives.
Among them are Fatih Erbakan, chairman of the New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah); Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a member of the Turkish parliament; Ahmet Çakar, a sports commentator and former football referee; Muharrem Çavuş, former head of the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Bosphorus Youth Branch (2020–2025); and journalists Adem Özköse and Yusuf Kaplan. The list also includes Yahya Uğraş, deputy chairman of the HÜDA PAR party; Mehmet Boynukalın, a professor at Marmara University; and individuals working for various Turkish media outlets.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a total of 31 Turkish citizens had been declared “undesirable persons” in accordance with the country’s legislation and barred from entering Azerbaijan.
The ministry added that it would continue taking appropriate measures in response to calls directed against Azerbaijan and activities promoting hostility.
The Turkish government has not yet commented on Azerbaijan’s decision.
A day earlier, on 20 October, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office issued a statement announcing that criminal proceedings had been initiated against seven people living and working in Turkey. According to the statement, they are suspected of calling for the forcible change of Azerbaijan’s constitutional order, inciting religious hatred and hostility, and distributing materials calling for religious extremist activities.
The decisions come at a time when disputes over religious and socio-political issues are drawing attention in relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. In recent days, school rules on wearing the hijab in Azerbaijan and Baku’s relations with Israel have also sparked debate in Turkey.
After some politicians from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) criticised school dress code regulations in Azerbaijan, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party described their remarks as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Nevertheless, official contacts between the two countries continue. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 15 October.
