Ahmedinejad to arrive in Turkey amid US pressure

Iranian President Ahmadinejad will join the United Nation-sponsored Least Developed Countries Summit, Iranian officials told Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Monday. Turkey will host the fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries on May 9-13 in Istanbul, one of the gatherings to contribute poorer nations improve prosperity and infrastructure. The Iranian leader's trip to Turkey coincides with growing pressure from the United States to halt the activities of the Iranian banks in Turkey. Meanwhile, Israeli President Shimon Peres will not participate to the gathering as the summit coincides with an Israeli national holiday. Relations between Turkey and Israel began to strain after an Israeli attack to Gaza killing about 1,400 Palestinians in 2009. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is also invited along with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, whose attendance was unconfirmed. Turkish President Abdullah Gül and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would make the opening remarks for the conference. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Azerbaijan Prime Minister Artur Rasizadea are among the confirmed participants.