Key Takeaways
- Turkey’s secular tradition, founded by Atatürk, faces challenges from religious-conservative governance.
- Azerbaijan’s decision to implement uniform requirements sparked controversy, with Turkey divided on the issue.
- The Kemalist opposition and secularists in Turkey support preserving the republic’s founding principles.
Turkey’s secular tradition, established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is facing challenges from the current religious-conservative government. This tradition, enshrined in the constitution since 1937, has been a cornerstone of Turkish society for decades.
In autumn 2026, Azerbaijan’s decision to approve uniform requirements for public schools, including a ban on headscarves, reignited debates about the country’s secular identity. The decision was met with strong reactions in Turkey, where a presidential adviser, lawmakers, and protesters called for reconsideration.
For Pakistan, where the hijab is a common feature in schools, the reaction in Turkey is understandable. However, it reflects only one of the two traditions that coexist in Turkey. The other, represented by the Kemalist opposition, remains significant in academia, the judiciary, and the military, and is supported by a substantial part of society.
The decision by Azerbaijan was narrower than the reactions to it might suggest. The headscarf was not included among the elements of the school uniform, and the regulation concerns only public schools. Universities, workplaces, streets, and mosques remain unaffected. The same document permits national dress at school events.
The country’s highest religious authority, the Caucasus Muslims Office, called the hijab an important religious obligation. However, it also stated that citizens have no right to oppose decisions of the state. This reflects the complex interplay between secular and religious elements in Turkish society.
Azerbaijan, a secular state under its constitution and a Muslim country in terms of its population, has never considered these characteristics contradictory. Similarly, the Turkish Republic was founded on the same principle. Although restrictions on headscarves in universities and government institutions have been lifted under the current government, the tradition on which the republic was built has not disappeared.
Different assessments of Azerbaijan’s decision emerged from Turkey. Theologian and columnist Cemil Kılıç urged Azerbaijan to ‘carefully preserve its secular identity’. Professor Aygün Attar, a former rector of Giresun University and a member of the Security and Foreign Policy Council under the President of Turkey, suggested that Azerbaijan should not be judged ‘exclusively through the prism of Turkey’. Ömer Faruk Kocatepe, an international relations scholar and associate professor at Turkey’s National Defence University, stressed: ‘Azerbaijan is an independent state with its own history and political and social characteristics. Our brotherhood stands above current political events, disagreements and debates.’
The Kemalist opposition and secularists in Turkey continue to support the preservation of the republic’s founding principles. They argue that the secular state remains a vital part of national identity, rather than a rejection of faith. This divide highlights the ongoing tension between the two traditions in Turkey.
Azerbaijan is an independent state with its own history and political and social characteristics. Our brotherhood stands above current political events, disagreements and debates.
Ömer Faruk Kocatepe, International relations scholar and associate professor at Turkey’s National Defence University
