YAP slams Turkish presidential adviser over unwarranted remarks

The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) issued a strongly worded statement on Tuesday rebuking recent populist and defamatory comments concerning Azerbaijan made by Oktay Saral, Chief Adviser to the President of Turkey, alongside lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

YAP emphasized that while Baku previously practiced strategic restraint to preserve historic fraternal ties, the increasingly hostile and systematic disinformation campaign across Turkish pro-government outlets and political circles necessitated a formal rejoinder. The party categorically rejected biased distortions regarding Azerbaijan–Israel ties, highlighting that Baku maintains principled, consistent backing for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as Palestine's capital, including direct funding for Palestine's diplomatic mission. The release underscored that no state possesses the entitlement to dictate terms or project hegemony over other sovereign Muslim nations.

Furthermore, YAP condemned attempts to politicize Azerbaijan’s secular constitutional framework and educational regulations, urging the AKP leadership to cease exploiting sensitive social issues such as headscarves for external political leverage. YAP reaffirmed that Heydar Aliyev’s foundational maxim "One Nation, Two States" strictly denotes two sovereign, independent nations with mutual respect for domestic jurisdiction, precluding any ideological overreach.