ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Oct 22 2009

Turkish minister promises to punish people slighting Azeri flag – TV

Nothing is important [for Turkey] more than the territorial integrity,
prosperity and stability of Azerbaijan, as well as Turkish-Azerbaijani
friendship. We have repeatedly stated this, Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu told journalists of a number of Azerbaijani news
agencies [in Baku on 22 October].

Azerbaijani territories, which are also our territories – we regard
them as such, have been under occupation for the past 17 years. Turkey
has always been seeking an end to this occupation, the Turkish
diplomat said.

We should also think about how to change the existing status quo. Ways
should be found to put an end to the 17-year occupation. We have told
all the world about this during the signing of the protocols [on
normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations], prior to this and after this.
The normalization [of relations] between Turkey and Armenia can
develop in favourable conditions if there is large-scale normalization
[of relations] in the region. It means that the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict should be resolved, he said.

Davutoglu also said that he had clarified the flag incident at a
meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart [Elmar Mammadyarov] and that
they had resolved the issue in a friendly manner. The Turkish foreign
minister said that they were concerned about an Azerbaijani flag being
put in a trash can during the Armenian-Turkish football match in Bursa
[on 14 October]. He added that they had issued an instruction to
investigate this incident. There are no trash cans in Turkey with the
WC inscription on them. An unidentified person wrote WC on a trash can
and put the flag in it and filmed. This is provocation and the results
of the investigation have proven this. No matter what, the Azerbaijani
flag will always be raised in Turkey, because this flag is our flag.
If some people slighted the Azerbaijani flag, we will find them and
punish, Davutoglu said.