Baghdad - Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived in Baghdad Monday at the beginning of a two-day visit, the first by a Turkish head of state to the country in 33 years.

Gul will discuss "issues of mutual concern" and "means of strengthening bilateral relations" in meetings with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Nasir al-Ani, head of the Iraqi president's office, said in a press release on Monday.

Tehran - Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Wednesday in Iran that member states of a regional economic grouping must help the global fight against terrorism.

Speaking at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Tehran, Gul also said the grouping could work together to help resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Turkey, together with Iran and Pakistan, founded the ECO in 1985.

Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan later joined the group.

Tehran - Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to attend the 10th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

But the visit is overshadowed by press reports in both Turkey and Iran that Gul will deliver a message from US President Barack Obama to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The ECO summit will be held on Wednesday, but Gul and Ahmadinejad were scheduled to meet later Tuesday at the presidential office.

Ankara - Turkish President Abdullah Gul warned Tehran on Tuesday to review its political stance, ahead of setting off on a diplomatic visit to Iran.

Gul said the arrival of US President Barack Obama in the White House had been very important and that "all countries must rethink their policies," just prior to departing for neighbouring Iran.

The Turkish president also suggested a meeting in Tehran of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO).

Ankara - Turkish President Abdullah Gul will on Saturday become the first Turkish head of state to visit Armenia in an important to normalizing relations between the two historic foes.

"An historic decision," read the main headline in Hurriyet newspaper. "The ice wall between Turkey and Armenia is being thawed through football diplomacy."

The opportunity to visit Armenia came after Armenian President Serge Sarkisian invited Gul to join him in Yerevan to watch a World Cup qualifying match.

Ankara  - Turkish President Abdullah Gul Tuesday pardoned Islamist former prime minister Necmettin Erbakan, 81, who was under house arrest for embezzlement.

Gul's office said in Ankara the decision had been taken on grounds of Erbakan's ill-health.

Erbakan was placed under house arrest in May after a court ruled that his Islamist Refah Welfare Party, which was banned in 1998, had misused funds.

Turkey's military pushed Erbakan out of office in 1997 ahead of a coup in 1980.