Protesters gather outside Azerbaijan's embassy and consulate in Turkey over school hijab restrictions

Hundreds of people gathered outside Azerbaijan's embassy in Ankara and its consulate general in Istanbul to protest restrictions on wearing the hijab in Azerbaijani schools.

Demonstrators called on the government of President Ilham Aliyev to reverse the policy and said students and teachers should not be denied access to education because they wear headscarves.

The protests followed a new school dress-code amendment in Azerbaijan that does not explicitly ban the hijab but prohibits clothing authorities consider incompatible with the country's secular principles. In practice, some hijab-wearing students and teachers have been barred from schools.

The issue has already triggered protests and class boycotts inside Azerbaijan and has begun straining political ties with Turkey, one of Baku's closest allies.

Azerbaijani officials have rejected criticism from Turkey and said outside actors should not interfere in the country's internal affairs.