Turkey is willing to establish friendly ties with neighboring Armenia, adding the caveat that this would not be possible without the full cooperation of both sides.

Thousands of mourners are gathered in central Istanbul to pay their last respects to Hrant Dink at his funeral, the Turkish journalist of Armenian origin who was shot dead last week.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), asks all Armenian Churches in the Diocese to join those around the world in observing a requiem service Sunday, January 21, 2007, for assassinated journalist Hrant Dink, editor of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly newspaper Agos. Dink was gunned down yesterday as he left the Agos offices in Istanbul.

To become a member of the European Union Turkey must fulfill its commitments and achieve economical, political, regional and social progress. The regional policy of Turkey is promoting difficulties and tension in South Caucasus and harms affects hampers the progress in the Republic of Armenia.

"I have always said and I will say that the Genocide issue is not dominant in Armenia-Turkey relations," Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in an interview with the Turkish "New Anatolian" periodical.