The Azerbaijan Press Council said it was seriously concerned by biased reports, distorted materials and campaigns aimed at manipulating public opinion about Azerbaijan that have appeared in some Turkish media outlets and on social media platforms.
The Council told “Operativ Məlumat Mərkəzi-OMM”, Operative Information Center-OMM reports.
It said that in recent days, separate events in Azerbaijan had been presented out of context, discussions of the country’s domestic affairs had been deliberately politicized, and unverified claims had been circulated as facts — all in direct violation of the fundamental principles of professional journalism.
“The Azerbaijan Press Council emphasizes that journalism’s highest duty is not to set societies against one another, but to uncover the truth, provide the public with accurate information and contribute to mutual understanding. Regrettably, the opposite has been observed in some Turkish media outlets in recent days. A decision to introduce a standard school uniform in Azerbaijan’s general education institutions has been taken out of context and distorted, while entirely unfounded claims have been spread that Azerbaijan is supposedly imposing a ‘hijab ban’ and suppressing Islamic values. A matter concerning domestic education rules has also been artificially recast as a religious and ideological confrontation, in an apparent attempt to create a negative image of our country.”
The Council said that misrepresenting issues related to religious freedoms, education policy and Azerbaijan’s social and cultural life; using old or fake photos and videos unrelated to the subject; and presenting the radical views of individual marginal figures as the position of Turkish society as a whole were intended to misdirect public opinion.
“Such an approach is consistent neither with the principles of objective journalism nor with the spirit of the strategic relationship between the two brotherly countries.
“Another cause for concern is that this smear campaign is not confined to social media, but is also being conducted by some traditional Turkish media outlets. In these reports, the limits of criticism and freedom of expression are clearly exceeded, while social media accounts are given a platform for dangerous calls aimed at forcibly changing the constitutional order in the Republic of Azerbaijan and seizing power through illegal means.”
The statement noted that relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye are founded on a shared history, language, culture, spiritual values and unshakable mutual trust.
“The principle of ‘One nation, two states’ expresses the equal cooperation and brotherhood of our countries as independent states. This sacred principle cannot be used as justification for interfering in any country’s domestic or foreign policy, pushing society into ideological confrontation or making unfounded accusations.
“The Press Council urges Turkish media organizations, journalist associations, editorial offices and individuals who influence public opinion on digital platforms to verify information about Azerbaijan using reliable sources before publishing it. The Council calls on them to prevent the distortion of facts and the circulation of fake or out-of-context images; refrain from insults, slander and hate rhetoric directed at the Azerbaijani state and people; promptly correct and retract false information; and take a principled stand against any manipulative campaigns that could damage relations between the two countries.”
The Azerbaijan Press Council said it would continue to uphold its principled position against distorting the truth, spreading disinformation and using media to undermine trust between the two countries.
