Oktay Saral, a long-serving chief adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has officially stepped down from his position. This decision follows a public controversy regarding his recent criticism of Azerbaijan's policy on Islamic headscarves in educational institutions. Saral had publicly challenged the exclusion of students wearing headscarves from classrooms, a stance that drew sharp condemnation from Azerbaijan's governing party and created diplomatic friction between the two allied nations. Saral stated that the president requested his departure due to the incident. In his resignation announcement posted on social media, Saral emphasized that he remains committed to supporting the president despite leaving the role he occupied since 2016. He noted that personal values hold more significance than official titles or government positions.
Source : Turkish Minute
