By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
On October 29, 2026, Azerbaijani media reported that President Ilham Aliyev would not attend the following day's Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit in Ankara, Türkiye. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will represent Azerbaijan, eight days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally invited Aliyev to the meeting.
Azerbaijan's Report news agency said Aliyev would stay in Baku to present awards at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, citing a previously arranged commitment and a busy presidential schedule. FIFA confirms that the tournament concludes on October 30. Aliyev attended its opening ceremony on October 24 alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Neither presidency had published a separate explanation for Aliyev's reported absence as of Thursday evening. Official events in Ankara already showed Azerbaijan represented by Bayramov.
Bayramov Represents Azerbaijan in Ankara
Bayramov attended the OTS Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on October 29 and joined the opening of the Turkic States Civilization Park at the Turkish Presidential Complex.
Türkiye's Directorate of Communications listed Bayramov alongside the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman. Aliyev was not among the participants listed for the ceremony.
Erdoğan invited Aliyev to the summit during an October 21 telephone call, according to statements issued by both presidencies. Neither account said whether the invitation had been accepted.
The October 30 summit will mark Türkiye's assumption of the OTS rotating chairmanship from Azerbaijan, which has held it since the October 2025 Gabala summit.
Leaders are expected to adopt the Ankara Declaration and consider the appointment of a new secretary-general. The agenda also covers trade, transport, energy, digital transformation and institutional cooperation.
Recent Dispute Adds Political Backdrop
Aliyev's reported absence follows a public dispute between Turkish and Azerbaijani political figures over school dress rules and reports that headscarf-wearing students were being denied access to classes in Azerbaijan.
Oktay Saral, then a chief adviser to Erdoğan, criticised the reported restrictions. Azerbaijan's governing New Azerbaijan Party responded on October 13, accusing Saral and Turkish ruling-party lawmakers of interfering in the country's domestic affairs. The school regulations themselves did not explicitly mention headscarves.
Saral announced his resignation on October 26, after telling a journalist that he had left his position at Erdoğan's direction. Middle East Eye reported that Baku had requested his removal, a claim neither government has publicly confirmed.
The dispute prompted questions about Aliyev's attendance in Ankara, but there is no verified evidence that it caused his reported absence. Report.az attributed the decision to previously scheduled commitments.
Aliyev sent Erdoğan a message marking Türkiye's Republic Day on October 29, addressing him as "My dear Brother" and emphasising the two countries' alliance under the 2021 Shusha Declaration. The message did not mention the summit.
Ankara Prepares to Assume OTS Chairmanship
The summit comes as the OTS pursues closer cooperation in trade, transport, digital infrastructure, education and security. Some initiatives have produced agreements or permanent mechanisms, while others remain proposals awaiting decisions.
Transport connectivity, including the Middle Corridor linking Central Asia to Europe through the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Türkiye, is a longstanding OTS priority.
The gathering follows earlier discussions over deeper OTS integration, including proposals for stronger institutional and security cooperation.
Bayramov's attendance will keep Azerbaijan represented as the rotating chairmanship passes to Türkiye without Aliyev present. Baku's reported explanation is a scheduling conflict; neither government has described the absence as a diplomatic protest.
Sources: Report.az, October 29, 2026; Organization of Turkic States, official October 29 Council of Foreign Ministers statement and October 30 summit announcement; Türkiye Directorate of Communications, October 21 and 29 statements; Presidency of Azerbaijan, October 21 and 29 statements and October 24 football event record; FIFA, October 2026 tournament schedule; New Azerbaijan Party statement, October 13, as reported by Euronews; Deutsche Welle; Middle East Eye; Bosphorus News review and reporting.