Being put on trial for defending the khimar (headscarf) is an honor for us! In late September 2026, the regime in Azerbaijan—acting on an arbitrary decision—began enforcing a ban on the khimar in schools. It expelled female students and teachers who wear the khimar from classrooms and barred them from entering school premises altogether. Furthermore, the regime has threatened families who resisted the ban and has arrested Muslims, throwing them into prison.The matter did not stop there; the Aliyev regime has now targeted certain Muslims and Islamic organizations in Türkiye that stood against this injustice—issuing statements calling for the ban to be lifted and sharing posts on social media regarding the issueInitially, arrest warrants were issued for seven individuals, including Abdullah İmamoğlu and other Muslims from various Islamic circles.Subsequently, a travel ban prohibiting entry into Azerbaijan was imposed on 31 individuals—including journalists, writers, activists, and representatives of civil society organizations and political parties—most notably Hakkı Eren and Muhammed Emin Yıldırım.

To date, Türkiye has not issued any official statement criticizing the ban on the hijab imposed by the Aliyev regime. On the contrary, both Ömer Çelik—spokesperson for the Justice and Development Party (AKP)—and Binali Yıldırım have characterized the matter as an internal affair of Azerbaijan, asserting that no one has the right to intervene or object to it.The silence of the AKP government regarding the hijab ban—coupled with the dismissal of Oktay Saral, a senior advisor to Erdoğan who had criticized the ban—has ultimately served the interests of the Aliyev regime.

Türkiye did not stop there; on Monday, October 26, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for four of our brothers—including Muhammad Amin Yildirim—on the pretext that they had published material containing what were alleged to be insults and provocations directed at the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Azerbaijani government. These Muslims have been charged simply for criticizing the oppressive Aliyev regime—which bans the khimar—for defending the khimar that Allah (swt) has commanded and for standing in solidarity with our sisters in Azerbaijan.

The decision taken by the Turkish judiciary against Turkish citizens serves as clear evidence of the Azerbaijani regime’s interference in the Turkish judicial system and in Türkiye’s internal affairs. For a government that prides itself on combating the "February 28th mentality" to deem the act of labeling the Aliyev regime—which bans the hijab—as "unjust" a punishable crime, is a testament to a blatant disregard for the law, a total lack of credibility, and sheer incompetence. This ruling reveals that Türkiye —which today criminalizes Muslims who describe the Aliyev regime as unjust—might tomorrow begin prosecuting Muslims who label the U.S. president, Donald Trump—a sworn enemy of Islam and Muslims—as "insolent" or a "kafir (disbeliever)," or who call Netanyahu—the killer of children—a "criminal" and a "terrorist". This decision stands as a stain of disgrace upon the Turkish regime.

We, in Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Türkiye, have from the outset valued the Islamic stance taken by all the Muslims and Islamic institutions that stood against the ban on the khimar in Azerbaijan. They aligned themselves with the truth and declared to the oppressor: "You are an oppressor." We also extend our gratitude to everyone who expressed solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the face of arbitrary arrests and baseless, unlawful accusations—those who stood by the truth and rejected both injustice and legal transgressions. We pray that Allah may be pleased with them all. We reiterate that the threats from the Aliyev regime and the pressures from the Turkish regime will never intimidate us, nor will they deter us—or any other Muslims—from championing the khimar and standing in support of our Muslim sisters. To pay a price for the sake of the khimar—which is both an obligatory religious duty in Islam and a matter of honor for our Muslim sisters—is, for us, an honor. As Muslims, we fear none but Allah, and we remain steadfast through all the trials we may face for the sake of His Deen and His Call. We turn to none but Allah (swt) and in Him alone do we place our trust.