“The monument will be destroyed only because of its unsatisfactory architectural appearance; Turkey has not altered its position on Armenia,” Egemen Bagis said.

“Turkey's EU ambition is not against Russia or the U.S., instead, Turkey wants to maintain strong ties with the two countries,” Turkish Foreign Ministers said.

The Şişli court in Istanbul initially rejected to hear the case, arguing that “the complainants are simply individuals of the Turkish nation.”

The association aims at extension of Armenia-Lebanon ties in trade, culture, education, tourism and investment programs.

A second missile battery will be deployed soon in another large southern city, Ashdod, an Israeli military said, without specifying an exact date.

“Our goal is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack from the Gaddafi regime,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.