Erdogan says Turkey-Azerbaijan ties can overcome all obstacles amid growing tensions

ANKARA, Nov 5 (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan said he believed ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan could overcome all obstacles and he would visit Baku on November 8, after tensions in recent weeks between the historic allies over regional and domestic policies.

Last week, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev skipped a summit of Turkic states in Ankara despite a personal invitation from Erdogan.

Ties have become strained over some Turkish officials’ criticism of Azerbaijan’s decision to impose restrictions on the use of Islamic headscarves under new school uniform regulations that prohibit clothing considered incompatible with the secular character of state education.

The criticism prompted Aliyev and Azeri officials to warn against interference in Baku’s affairs, without mentioning Turkey. Erdogan removed one of his advisers over his public criticism of the headscarf decision.

The tensions are a rare crack in an alliance of nations at the heart of a fractured region. Any worse break could hurt Turkey’s ambitions of increasing its influence in an area where Russia traditionally holds sway.

Speaking to reporters on a return flight from South Korea, Erdogan said he planned to visit Azerbaijan to attend Victory Day celebrations there, adding he hoped the visit would provide “the opportunity to take the necessary steps”, without elaborating.

“Our relations with Azerbaijan go way beyond classic diplomatic contacts. The unbreakable bond between the countries is the product of our joint history, culture, destiny, and, God willing, our future,” he said, according to a transcript of his comments shared by his office.

“There is no obstacle that the brotherhood between Turkey and Azerbaijan cannot overcome,” Erdogan added.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)