Erdogan Presses Aliyev to Advance Armenia Azerbaijan Peace Deal

Turkey's efforts to strengthen regional trade and secure a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan face obstacles as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks faster implementation of an agreement backed by US President Donald Trump. According to a column published by Forbes and republished by abcmedia.am on October 20, 2026, Azerbaijan's ties with Israel and restrictions on head coverings in schools have added friction to Ankara's relationship with Baku. The peace agreement, associated with the proposed Middle Corridor arrangement, established a framework for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan with Trump presiding, according to the column.

Erdogan wants the agreement implemented quickly, while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has room to delay negotiations and seek better terms. The report identifies Azerbaijan's limited dependence on the United States and its decades-long conflict with Armenia as factors that give Aliyev flexibility in dealing with the agreement. For Erdogan, advancing the deal is also important because it aligns with Trump's strong interest in presenting the settlement as a major diplomatic achievement.

Relations between Ankara and Baku face additional strain over Azerbaijan's close partnership with Israel. The column argues that Azerbaijan values Israel as a security partner against perceived Iranian interference, while Israel sees Azerbaijan's position along Iran's northern border as strategically significant.

Those competing interests became visible during the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), hosted by Baku. According to the report, several Muslim countries publicly walked out in protest at the participation of Israeli President Herzog, including Turkey's foreign minister. The dispute highlights the difficulty Azerbaijan faces in maintaining relationships with both Israel and Turkey, whose governments have conflicting positions toward Israel. Azerbaijan's partnership with Israel has also been linked to its security calculations concerning Iran and the wider South Caucasus.

Another source of tension is Azerbaijan's decision to reinstate restrictions on women wearing head coverings in schools about a week before the CICA conference. The column contrasts the policy with Erdogan's political legacy of restoring women's right to wear hijabs in government buildings in Turkey. Turkey had historically enforced strict secular rules that barred head coverings in government buildings, the report says. Under Erdogan, women wearing headscarves and long tunics have become a common sight, making Azerbaijan's renewed school restrictions a point of political disagreement between the two neighboring allies.

Despite the disagreements, the column assesses that neither leader can easily afford a rupture in bilateral relations. Erdogan relies on cooperation with Aliyev to support closer connections among Turkic countries extending toward Central Asia, while a confrontation with Azerbaijan could complicate that strategic objective. Erdogan is also facing domestic pressure from a banking scandal and severe flooding in Istanbul, according to the report. These challenges could further constrain his ability to manage regional disputes while pressing for progress on the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement.