YEREVAN, Oct 22, 2007 (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in the Armenian capital Monday for a two-day visit aimed at boosting growing economic and political ties between the neighbouring countries.

Ahmadinejad's plane touched down at Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport, the Armenian presidential office told AFP.

YEREVAN, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will make an official visit to neighbouring Armenia on October 22 and 23 for talks with his counterpart Robert Kocharian, the official news agency said Saturday.

The two men are expected to sign a series of bilateral agreements Monday, and Ahmadinejad will also meet the head of the national assembly, Tigran Torossian, and students and professors at Yerevan University.

ISTANBUL, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - The spiritual leader of Turkey's tiny Armenian community said Friday he was opposed to a US Congressional bill branding the Ottoman massacres of Armenians as genocide.

'This bill will harm relations both between Turkey and Armenia and between Armenians and Turks in Turkey,' the Istanbul-based Patriarch Mesrob II told Anatolia news agency in Erzurum, eastern Turkey.

He said he made contacts with US State Department officials on the issue and could also speak to US Congressmen.

ANKARA, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates are to meet Sunday to discuss tensions between the two allies, Gonul was quoted as saying by Anatolia news agency.

The meeting will take place in the sidelines of an international gathering in Kiev on Sunday.

The talks will cover Turkey's threat to send troops to northern Iraq to strike at Kurdish rebels and a pending US Congressional vote on a resolution labelling the Ottoman massacres of Armenians as genocide, Gonul said.

WASHINGTON, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - US Congressional support flagged Wednesday for a resolution calling the World War I massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks 'genocide' amid concern over Turkey's threat to cut off support for the Iraq war.

In apparent retreat from their initial stance, a group of Democrats in the House of Representatives, including the influential John Murtha, said they would 'very vigorously' oppose the measure cleared last week by a committee.

'If voted today it would not pass on the floor,' Murtha said.

WASHINGTON, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Looking to defuse tensions with a key US ally, US President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged the Congress to drop a resolution calling the World War I massacre of Armenians in Turkey 'genocide.'

'One thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire,' Bush said at a press conference, branding the measure 'counterproductive.'

ROGERS, Arkansas, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - The White House Monday strongly discouraged Congress from approving, or even considering, a resolution calling WWI mass killings of Armenians 'genocide' which could bring tough reprisals from Turkey.

'This is an important time for US-Turkish relations, and we would strongly encourage the speaker not to bring this to a vote, and should it come to a vote, we will strongly encourage members not to support it,' spokesman Tony Fratto said.

WASHINGTON, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Top US Democrats Sunday vowed to press ahead with a bill condemning the mass killing of Armenians decades ago as genocide, brushing off Turkish fury over the sensitive issue.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said possible reprisals affecting Turkey's cooperation with the US military were 'hypothetical' and would not derail the resolution.

Holding a vote on condemning the massacre, even many years after the fact, is 'about who we are as a country,' Pelosi told ABC television.

WASHINGTON, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - Top US Democrats Sunday brushed off Turkish fury and vowed to press ahead with a bill condemning the mass killing of Armenians decades ago as 'genocide,' to right past wrongs.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said possible reprisals affecting Turkey's cooperation with the US military were 'hypothetical' and would not derail the resolution.

Holding a vote on condemning the massacre, even many years after the fact, is 'about who we are as a country,' Pelosi told ABC television.

WASHINGTON, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - Top US Democrats Sunday brushed off Turkish fury and vowed to press ahead with an Armenian 'genocide' bill, insisting that bloodshed today demanded a righting of past wrongs.

But Republicans accused the party in control of Congress of waging an 'irresponsible' campaign of dubious historical validity that would hurt US troops in Iraq.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said possible reprisals affecting Turkey's cooperation with the US military were 'hypothetical' and would not derail the resolution.

WASHINGTON, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - Top US Democrats Sunday brushed off Turkish fury and vowed to press ahead with an Armenian 'genocide' bill, insisting that bloodshed today demanded a righting of historical wrongs.

But Republicans accused the party in control of Congress of waging an 'irresponsible' campaign of dubious historical validity that would hurt US troops in Iraq.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said possible reprisals affecting Turkey's cooperation with the US military were 'hypothetical' and would not derail the resolution.

ANKARA, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - US-Turkish military ties will never be the same again if US lawmakers confirm a committee vote that branded the Ottoman Empire's massacre of Armenians a genocide, Turkey's military chief told the daily Milliyet on Sunday.

'I can tell you that if the resolution is passed in a full session (of the House of Representatives), military relations will never be the same again,' General Yasar Buyukanit is quoted as saying.

'The United States is clearly an important ally. But an allied country does not behave in this way,' he added.

ANKARA, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - The United States sent two top government officials to Turkey Saturday to try to cool a diplomatic row sparked by a US congressional vote labelling the mass killings of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

'We thought it would be very good idea for two senior officials to go' to Turkey, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Moscow from where the two officials including a former US ambassador to Turkey were sent.

ANKARA, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - Two top US government officials arrived in Turkey Saturday to try to cool a diplomatic row sparked by a US congressional vote labelling the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks an act of genocide.

'We thought it would be very good idea for two senior officials to go,' said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who along with US President George W. Bush opposed Wednesday's resolution in the the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

ANKARA, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - Two senior US government officials were expected in Turkey Saturday to try to cool the diplomatic row sparked by a US Congress vote to label the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks an act of genocide, a Turkish official said.

Meanwhile Minister of State Kursad Tuzmen, an influential member of the Turkish government charged with external trade, has cancelled a visit to the United States.

ANKARA, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - A Turkish minister has cancelled a visit to the United States this weekend in reaction to a US Congress vote to label the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks an act of genocide, the news agency Anatolia reported.

Minister of State Kursad Tuzmen, an influential member of the government charged with external trade, was to have attended a US-Turkish business meeting in New York.

Tuzmen was the second Turkish official to cancel a planned visit to the United States after the Turkish navy's commander Admiral Metin Atac.

WASHINGTON, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - An explosive mix of political opportunism, moral crusading and a bitter feud with President George W. Bush is driving Democrats to ignore Turkey's ire and label massacres of Armenians as genocide.

In a case steeped in history, riven with domestic politics but with major international implications, the House of Representatives is set to debate a measure on the killings in World War I of up to 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians.

ANKARA, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey hopes its decision to recall its US ambassador will be enough to block a resolution labelling the 1915-1917 massacres of Armenians a genocide from going to a full vote in the US House of Representatives, experts say.

Ankara called back its ambassador late Thursday to protest against the adoption of the resolution by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made it clear she will submit the bill to a full vote, despite Turkey's staunch opposition.

ANKARA, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - A diplomatic rift between Turkey and the United States deepened Friday after Ankara recalled its ambassador to Washington over a vote in the US Congress to label the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks an act of genocide.

The envoy's recall came as the White House, which opposed the vote by the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, sought to mollify its NATO partner, which is a strategic staging post for US forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday condemned the 'mass killings' of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I but declined to get into a growing diplomatic row over whether it constituted genocide.

'I do not take any official action on the legislation of any country. This I regard as a matter between United States and Turkey,' Ban told reporters during a visit to business leaders in Washington.

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - The White House said Thursday it hoped Turkey would quickly return its ambassador to Washington who was recalled after a US Congress panel voted to label the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks an act of genocide.

'We look forward to his quick return and will continue to work to maintain strong US-Turkish relations,' said Gordon Johndroe, a White House national security council spokesman.

'We remain opposed to House Resolution 106 because of the grave harm it could bring to the national security of the United States.'

ANKARA, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Washington to show its anger at a US Congress vote to label the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks an act of genocide.

'It is natural that the ambassador should be recalled for consultations after such a decision was taken in Congress,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Mahmut Bilman told AFP.

'It is difficult to say when he (the ambassador) will return to Washington,' added the spokesman.

ANKARA, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Washington in anger at a resolution passed by a US Congress committee which says the Armenians were victims of genocide by the Ottoman Turks, Anatolia news agency said.

The ambassador, Nabi Sensoy, was recalled for consultations on the text which could now go before the full House of Representatives, said the news agency.

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - The White House, fearing fallout on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, battled Thursday to repair ties with Turkey after a US vote to label the World War I massacre of Armenians as 'genocide.'

'Turkey is playing a critical role in the war on terror and this action is problematic for everything we're trying to do in the Middle East and would cause great harm to our efforts,' White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she would present an Armenian 'genocide' bill to the Democratic-led chamber despite US and Turkish anger over the measure.

'It has come out of committee and it will go to the floor,' she told reporters after the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to label the wartime massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as 'genocide.'

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she would present an Armenian 'genocide' bill to the Democratic-led chamber despite US and Turkish anger over the measure.

'It has come out of committee and it will go to the floor,' she told reporters after the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to label the wartime massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as 'genocide.'

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - The White House, fearing fallout on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, battled Thursday to repair ties with Turkey after a US vote to label the World War I massacre of Armenians as 'genocide.'

Following Wednesday's vote by the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, aides to President George W. Bush said top administration officials would lobby the full Democratic-led chamber against the resolution.

LONDON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Thursday of reprisals from Turkey after a committee of US lawmakers branded the Ottoman Empire's World War I massacre of Armenians a genocide.

The US House of Representatives committee defied warnings from President George W. Bush and Turkey's authorities, voting Wednesday in favour of the resolution by 27 votes to 21.

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - The White House said it was 'disappointed' Thursday with a vote in the US Congress labeling the Ottoman Empire's World War I massacre of Armenians as 'genocide.'

'Certainly we are disappointed in the vote that occurred yesterday,' said Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for US President George W. Bush, speaking about the vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

YEREVAN, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Armenia on Thursday hailed a controversial vote by a US House of Representatives committee branding the Ottoman Empire's World War I massacre of Armenians as 'genocide.'

'We welcome the acceptance of the resolution recognising the genocide of Armenians by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives,' Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told AFP.

'This is a very important step towards establishing justice,' he said.

ISTANBUL, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - A Turkish court on Thursday found the son of assassinated ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink guilty of insulting the Turkish identity but spared him jail, Anatolia news agency reported.

Arat Dink and a colleague, Serkis Seropyan, were given a one-year suspended prison term after reproducing an interview in their newspaper in which Hrant Dink, who was killed by an ultranationalist youth in January, said that the massacre of Armenians in 1915-17 in Ottoman Turkey was a genocide.

WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - US officials voiced concern over possible damage to ties with ally Turkey after lawmakers voted to label the Ottoman Empire's World War I massacre of Armenians as 'genocide.'

To cheers and applause from emotional Armenians, including elderly wheelchair-bound survivors, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee defied warnings from President George W. Bush and Turkey and voted Wednesday for the resolution by 27 votes to 21.

ANKARA, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey on Thursday condemned a vote by a US House of Representatives committee branding the World War I massacre of Armenians 'genocide' and urged them not to take it to a full House vote.

A government statement said the 'irresponsible' resolution, voted by the House foreign affairs commitee, was likely to endanger bilateral relations.

'We still hope that the House of Representatives will have enough good sense not to take this resolution further,' said the statement.

WASHINGTON, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - US lawmakers defied strident warnings by President George W. Bush and Turkey by voting Wednesday to label the Ottoman Empire's World War I massacre of Armenians as 'genocide.'

To cheers and applause from emotional Armenians, including elderly wheelchair-bound survivors, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee voted for the resolution by 27 votes to 21.

WASHINGTON, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - The US State Department on Wednesday expressed 'regret' that American lawmakers voted to label the Ottoman Empire's World War I massacre of Armenians as 'genocide.'

'We regret that the House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved House Resolution 106,' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement after House panel backed the non-binding measure that calls the killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians a 'genocide.'

ANKARA, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Turkish President Abdullah Gul denounced Thursday as 'unacceptable' the endorsement of a measure branding as genocide the Ottoman massacres of Armenians by a key US congressional committee.

'This unac