Turkey - Azerbaijan: the differences are deepening contrary to expectations, Ilham Aliyev did not come to the summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara despite the personal invitation of Recep Erdogan, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev did not go to Ankara for the summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). According to the state agency Ma, he missed the event due to a busy work schedule and planned events in Baku: "On October 30, the final match and the official closing ceremony of the U-15 World Cup and the FIFA Festival held in Baku for the first time will take place. The participation of the head of state in the awarding ceremony was planned in advance."
On October 24, the U-15 World Cup and the festival actually started in Azerbaijan for the first time, lasting until October 30, so a suitable excuse is found. Recall that the cancellation of the visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Moscow on May 9, 2025 in Baku was explained by his participation in events dedicated to his father, Heydar Aliyev. At the same time, refusing to go to Ankara does not mean refusing OTG, writes another pro-government mouthpiece. As one of the founders of the UTG, Baku will continue to participate in its work and development. At the same time, "the Union cannot rely only on the common history and the closeness of nations. It needs mutual respect and recognition of the independence of each participant," write journalists, recalling some unpleasant moments for Turkey and its leader. According to Baku observers, negative trends in Turkey-Azerbaijan bilateral relations were clearly formed in early October, when an information campaign "aimed at friendship" began. The uproar on social media and among some religiously motivated politicians clearly intensified after the Azerbaijani diplomat did not leave the conference room during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN meeting, unlike his Turkish counterpart and over a hundred other people.