Baku:The Azerbaijan Press Council has raised serious concerns regarding biased reporting and campaigns that appear to be manipulating public opinion against Azerbaijan in certain Turkish media outlets and social media platforms.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the Council's statement highlighted that recent actions, such as taking individual incidents out of context and politicizing discussions about Azerbaijan's domestic affairs, contradict the core principles of professional journalism. It emphasized that journalism should be about establishing truth and providing accurate information, rather than turning societies against one another.

The Council noted that the introduction of unified school uniforms in Azerbaijan’s general education schools has been misrepresented, with unfounded claims of a 'hijab ban' and suppression of Islamic values. These internal educational regulations, it said, have been artificially turned into a religious and ideological confrontation, projecting a negative image of Azerbaijan.

The statement also expressed concern about the distortion of issues related to religious freedom, education policy, and the country's social and cultural life. It criticized the use of outdated or fabricated photos and videos, as well as the portrayal of radical views as representative of Turkish society, as misleading public opinion.

Furthermore, the Council highlighted that the smear campaign extends beyond social media, with similar articles appearing in traditional Turkish media outlets. It stressed that the historical and cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey, encapsulated in the principle of 'One nation, two states,' should not be used to interfere in each other’s domestic or foreign policy.

The Azerbaijan Press Council urged Turkish media outlets and public influencers to verify information about Azerbaijan before publication, avoid distorting facts, and promptly correct any inaccuracies. It emphasized the importance of standing against manipulative campaigns that could harm the relationship between the two countries.

The Council reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a principled stance against the distortion of truth and the spread of disinformation, aiming to preserve trust between Azerbaijan and Turkey.