Turkish Activist Ildirim Detained for a Day in Istanbul After Being Declared Persona Non Grata by Azerbaijan

Istanbul police detained Turkish religious activist Muhammed Emin Ildirim for one day over posts published on social media. He is banned from entering Azerbaijan. The incident occurred against the backdrop of growing tensions between Baku and Ankara.

Ildirim is the Istanbul representative of the Islamist media platform Köklü Değişim Medya and is among the 31 Turkish citizens declared persona non grata by Azerbaijan. Police released him the same night. On October 26, Köklü Değişim Medya issued a statement on X about the detention, saying the case was being monitored with the participation of Ildirim's lawyer. According to a further statement from the platform, Ildirim was released on October 27.

After his release, Ildirim thanked activists, journalists and organizations that drew attention to his detention. "The hijab is a commandment of God. We will never abandon our Azerbaijani sisters who value it," he said. Ildirim said he will continue to defend Muslims and stand by the oppressed against those he considers oppressors. He also criticized those who, in his words, put political and commercial interests above reacting to injustice and seek to silence those who speak out loudly against injustice.

The detention was followed by criticism from religious groups in Turkey. Fatih Erbakan, leader of the Islamist New Welfare Party, criticized Erdoğan on X and raised questions about his reaction to Aliyev. "Does this mean that our president, who says 'the world is bigger than five' and who is regarded as a world leader, bows to Ilham Aliyev?" he wrote. Erbakan referred to Erdoğan's well-known remark criticizing the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Its essence is that the fate of the world should not be decided by only five states.

"However, as soon as Aliyev calls, everything stops. It does not matter what the case concerns: headscarves, human rights or freedom of faith. The picture created is as if Aliyev gives an order and we immediately obey. Do you have the right to make the nation share such shame?" Erbakan added.

The reasons for the tensions include restrictions on wearing the hijab in Azerbaijani schools and criticism of the Azerbaijani government by religious figures working in Ankara. Due to these restrictions, members of Köklü Değişim held a protest in front of the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Istanbul. Turkish citizens and religious groups also criticized the dismissal of Oktay Saral from his post as an adviser to Erdoğan, which took place before Ildirim's detention. Many social media users also assessed these events as a political failure for Erdoğan.

Azerbaijan separately placed seven Turkish citizens on international wanted lists. Since the morning of October 27, reports have been spreading on social media that members of Köklü Değişim were detained or summoned for questioning at police stations in Turkey. This information has not been officially confirmed.