The Turkish Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the prolonged political crisis in Macedonia, considered a "friend and ally" by Turkey, and has said that it hopes current events would not be repeated.
"Macedonia holds key significance to establish lasting peace in the Balkans. We hope that such events will not be repeated in the future in Macedonia, our ally. We invite the representatives of political parties to [use] common sense and search for solutions to problems by way of dialogue." the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry reiterated its support to the country, reminding that it had been on a friendly footing with the Republic of Macedonia since its founding, and that Turkey had supported the country's independence, sovereignty and its development.
The events taking place on April 27 were qualified as "worrisome", and the statement stressed that violence could never be the answer . Furthermore, the foreign ministry offered get well wishes to anyone injured during the turmoil in Parliament and urged the Turkish minority in Macedonia to preserve its neutral stance.
On Thursday evening, Macedonian nationalists stormed the Macedonian parliament in Skopje, protesting against MPs whom they called "traitors" by throwing chairs and resorting to physical violence.
Tensions in Macedonia have been high since an inconclusive election in December. One of the most contested issues is the status to be accorded to ethnic Albanians within the Republic of Macedonia. Several people were injured during the clashes with photos showing social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev with blood streaming down his face.
