Azerbaijan President Aliyev hosts religious leaders in Baku

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hosted a delegation of religious leaders in Baku as part of the 7th Meeting of the Organization of Turkic States Muslim Religious Leaders Council and the Seyid Yahya Bakuvi International Conference. The gathering included representatives from the Turkic world, the Caucasus, and various Islamic entities.

During the meeting, Aliyev addressed what he described as an ‘undeclared war against the Islamic world,’ stating that Islamophobia is only a small part of this broader issue. He specifically criticized the destruction of religious sites during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, alleging that 65 mosques were destroyed as a matter of Armenian state policy and that religious sites were desecrated to insult the Muslim community.

Parliamentary deputy Azer Kerimli noted that the event positions Baku as a strategic intersection of the Turkic, Caucasian, and Islamic worlds, utilizing cultural and religious diplomacy to strengthen Azerbaijan’s international standing.