Azerbaijan Seeks Seven Turkish Nationals Over Alleged Coup Calls

Azerbaijan has placed seven Turkish nationals, including journalists, writers and a lawyer, on an international wanted list over allegations that they called for the forcible overthrow of the Azerbaijani government and incited religious hatred. The proceedings, initiated on October 16, 2026, follow protests against school restrictions on hijabs and come amid growing political friction between Baku and Ankara.

According to Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office, investigators suspect the seven individuals of publishing statements and distributing recordings, photographs and videos between September 25 and October 18 that allegedly promoted the violent seizure of power and religious hostility. The authorities say the investigation covers content shared through X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and other online platforms.

On October 19, the Binagadi District Court in Baku ordered the suspects' pretrial detention in absentia. Prosecutors said the individuals had been formally charged under Articles 281.2, 283.2.1 and 167-3.1 of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code, covering repeated public calls for the forcible seizure of power, violent incitement of religious hatred, and materials promoting religious extremist activity.

The seven suspects are Rıdvan Kaya, Zekeriya Ceran, also known as Abdullah İmamoğlu, Fatih Tezcan, Ahmet Şanlı, Fahrettin Taşkaya Saral, Abdurrahman Tumer and Alparslan Tanrıkulu. Their professional backgrounds include journalism, publishing, legal practice, research, online commentary and media presentation, according to the prosecutor's office.

Investigators specifically cited demonstrations outside Azerbaijan's diplomatic missions in Turkey. Kaya allegedly made statements calling for the forcible seizure of power at a protest outside Azerbaijan's Consulate General in Istanbul on October 3. Kaya and Ceran were also accused of making similar statements at a demonstration outside Azerbaijan's Embassy in Ankara on October 13. Both protests opposed restrictions on hijabs in Azerbaijani schools.

The allegations remain subject to investigation. OC Media said it could not access complete versions of the speeches to independently verify the accusations and could not verify whether five of the suspects had made statements linked to overthrowing the Azerbaijani government. Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office said investigators were collecting electronic evidence, verifying authorship and seeking international legal assistance.

Celal Çiftçi, a columnist for the Turkish newspaper Şanlıurfa Olay who was also reported to have been placed on Azerbaijan's international wanted list, issued an apology to Azerbaijan's state and people on X. He said his comments about the hijab issue and freedom of religion had caused hurt and that he regretted the language he had used.

Çiftçi maintained that he had not intended to interfere in Azerbaijan's domestic affairs or encourage violence. He said he respected the country's sovereignty and constitutional order, rejected allegations that he had called for a coup or religious hostility, and stated that he had removed content he considered inappropriate. He also asked Azerbaijani authorities to assess his statements in context and said his apology did not constitute an admission of the alleged offenses.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have faced increased public friction over school dress regulations and Azerbaijan's relations with Israel. Politicians from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party have criticized Azerbaijan's school uniform rules, prompting Azerbaijan's ruling New Azerbaijan Party to describe the remarks as interference in domestic affairs.

Despite the dispute, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on October 15. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also addressed the risk of division among Muslims in a post on X as the criminal proceedings were announced, without explicitly naming Azerbaijan or referring to the investigation.

Erdoğan warned against attempts to deepen divisions among Muslims and undermine public morale, writing, "We will be very, very careful against dark and dirty games. We will remain alert to those trying to turn Muslims against one another."

The case follows Azerbaijan's August decision to issue arrest warrants in absentia for three Russian media figures accused of calling for the violent overthrow of the Azerbaijani government, inciting national hatred and publicly calling for terrorism. That earlier action came amid a diplomatic dispute between Baku and Moscow over the 2024 accidental downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger aircraft after it was struck by Russian air-defense missiles.

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office said the investigation into the seven Turkish nationals was continuing, including efforts to establish the origin and distribution of the disputed materials. Authorities also said international cooperation mechanisms were being used to pursue the case and coordinate with competent agencies in Turkey and other countries.