At the meeting with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will back Azerbaijan’s interests as Turkish, the CNN Turk informs. “We will maintain Azerbaijan's interests as Turkey's,” he said.

Erdogan maintains he will adhere to the statement made in Azeri parliament — Turkey will support Azerbaijan's interests as its own. He underlined that Turkey will never take steps contradicting Azerbaijan's interests.

Erdogan pointed out that there are some forces within Turkey that want to damage the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations. “I want to tell the Azerbaijani people that your joy is Turkey's joy and your grief is Turkey's grief,” he said. According to him the issue was thoroughly discussed at his meeting with Azerbaijani MPs.

Tension between Azerbaijan and Turkey grew as Turkey-Armenia Protocols were signed in Zurich Oct. 10. Richard Giragosian, Head of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), told NEWS.am that U.S. pressurizes Turkey for prompt ratification of the Protocols. According to him, Turkey is no more as it used to be – now it stands firm on its feet. "Now Turkey will not buy “American smiles”. Now Ankara can tell Washington: “Sorry buddy but this is my county and we have our interests. Today more then ever we are closer to Russia, so… And, in order that Washington achieves its goal it will have to offer something in return to Ankara,” maintains the expert.

Armenia-Turkey Protocols will be submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey October 21. Turkish PM was going to lvisit U.S. October 29 on Barack Obama’s invitation, however, due to that the day coincides with the Republic Day of Turkey the former postponed the visit for an indefinite term. Allegedly, Washington initiated the visit to exert pressure over Ankara for the early ratification of the Protocols. However, postponing the visit Ankara infers Turkey will stick to its positions in the issue.