Interfax, Russia
Oct 15 2009

Baku accuses Turkey of disrespect for Azeri national flag during
Turkey- Armenia football match

BAKU Oct 15

Baku has expressed a formal protest to Turkey over disrespect for the
Azerbaijani national flag during the football match between Turkey and
Armenia in Bursa on October 14.

Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has summoned to the Foreign
Ministry the Turkish charge d’affaires in Azerbaijan, the Azeri
Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.

The statement does not specify what exactly was interpreted by Baku as
disrespect for the Azeri flag.

Meanwhile, Interfax has learnt that the Turkish authorities did not
allow football fans to bring Azeri flags to the stadium so as not to
politicize the match between the Turkey and Armenian national teams,
which was attended by the two countries’ presidents.

Turkish and Azeri television channels showed images of several Azeri
flags seized from fans by security officers at the entry to the
stadium dumped on the ground.