Erdogan addresses Atlantic Council Istanbul Summit

By Ilker Girit

ISTANBUL (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Friday for common sense in Macedonia after some protesters stormed a parliament in capital Skopje, injuring parliamentarians.

“We hope that Macedonia… will leave behind this difficult period with the common sense of the parties as soon as possible,” Erdogan said while addressing the Atlantic Council Istanbul Summit.

"Violence cannot cure any problem," he said, wishing that Macedonia will soon see stability.

Earlier, a presidential source said that Turkish president called Macedonian counterpart Gyorge Ivanov on the phone and assured him that Turkey would continue to support Macedonia "towards a peaceful and prosperous future."

"It will be in the interests of all groups that the work of establishing a new government is carried out within the framework of democratic rule-of-law principles," the source, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, quoted Erdogan as saying.

On Thursday, some protesters demonstrating in front of the parliament stormed the building after ethnic Albanian Talat Xhaferi was elected as speaker of the parliament.

Live television footage showed anti-Albanian protesters injuring the leader of the Social Democrats Zoran Zaev. The majority coalition led by his party supported Xhaferi.

The parliament building was evacuated, and a total of 42 people, including lawmakers and journalists, sought help at local medical centers for various injuries, according to reports.

On Thursday night, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov called an emergency meeting to resolve the crisis.

- NATO chief 'shocked' by attack

"There is no issue that cannot be resolved through dialogue in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Macedonia," Ivanov said. "I therefore urge the leaders of the parliamentary parties that tomorrow they come into my office for a meeting of leaders to discuss the situation."

While calling for restraint, the United Nations said in a statement that it was following the developments "with great concern".

"Violence directed at democratic institutions and elected representatives of the people is unacceptable," it said.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was "shocked" by the attack.

"All parties must respect the democratic process. They must support dialogue, not violence," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

In a joint statement, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn condemned the attack "in the strongest terms".

"Democracy must run its course. We take positive note of the election of Talat Xhaferi as Speaker of the Parliament, as reported," the statement added.

Macedonia has been an EU candidate country for over a decade, but the parties have yet to launch accession negotiations.