Turkey Officially Protests Removal Of Its Flag In Baku

BAKU -- Turkey has officially protested the removal of its national flag from a building in the Azerbaijani capital that belongs to the Turkish Embassy in Baku, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov told journalists that the ministry received an official note from the Turkish officials and is investigating the incident.

Muzaffar Shahin of the Turkish Embassy told RFE/RL that several men in civilian clothes removed the flag on October 21 from the building housing Turkish Embassy's Office for Religious Affairs without explanation.

On October 17, Azerbaijani authorities removed Turkey's national flag from Baku's Alley of Martyrs shortly after the Azerbaijani flag was not allowed at the historic Armenian-Turkish soccer match in the Turkish city of Bursa that was attended by Armenian and Turkish leaders.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey have grown tense since Armenian-Turkish fence-mending protocols were signed in Zurich on October 10.