FLAG CRISIS OVER, AZERBAIJAN ALLOWS TURKISH FLAGS IN MARTYRDOM

Oct 28 2009
Turkey

Flag crisis ended on late Tuesday after Azerbaijan decided to allow
Turkish flags to raise at Turkish martyrs’ cemetery in Baku.

Flag crisis ended on late Tuesday after Azerbaijan decided to allow
Turkish flags to raise at Turkish martyrs’ cemetery in Baku.

"Turks cemetery" (Martyrdom) was erected in Baku in honour of 1130
Turkish soldiers died fighting within "Caucasian Islam Army" against
Armenian and Russian soldiers that occupied Azerbaijan in 1918.

Azerbaijan, which have been uneasy about the recent rapprochement
between Turkey and Armenia, hauled down Turkish flag at Martyrdom
Mosque in the Azerbaijani martyrdom.

The tension between Azerbaijan and Turkey, which started when FIFA not
allowed Azeri flags in Turkey-Armenia football match played in Bursa,
has been turned into a "flag crisis".

Azeri officials started erecting a total of 10 flagpoles overnight.

Turkey’s ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kılıc watched this work
for a while, but did not made any statement on the move.

Ttwo flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey had been raised. Officials said
all flags will be raised as soon as the work is done.

After the removal of Turkish flags from many places in Baku, Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said, "The Turkish flag in Azerbaijan
is entrusted to the honor of Azerbaijani people."

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan also had warned Azerbaijan on Tuesday
against provocation in bilateral relations.

"The Martyrdom Mosque in the Azerbaijani martyrdom is what really hurts
us. I believe that our Azerbaijani brothers will very well assess what
hauling down of the Turkish flag in the martyrdom meant," Erdogan said.

Ending the crisis comes just before before Turkey’s Republic Day on
October 29.