Armenia genocide bill will harm ties ISTANBUL, Oct 7, SPA -- The head of Turkey's Parliamentwarned the United States against passing an Armeniangenocide bill, saying in a letter to the U.S. House speakerthat the move would harm bilateral ties, AP quoted his office as saying Sunday. Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan said in his letter toHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi that «it might take decades toheal negative effects of the bill if it passes,» Toptan'soffice said in a statement. Toptan _ who is elected by the legislative body to chairparliamentary sessions _ is considered neutral toward allpolitical parties. The genocide bill declares the killings of Armeniansbetween 1915 and 1917 a genocide, though it would have nobinding effect on the U.S. foreign policy. The U.S. Houseof Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee is expectedto consider the legislation this week. Toptan's letter said the passing of the bill would bedeclared by Armenians as a confirmation of their view ofthe historical dispute. «Then, it will be difficult to control the dynamicstriggered by Turkish public reaction,» it said. On Friday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. President George W. Bush that the measure would «harm thestrategic partnership» between the two countries. Toptan said Armenia did not respond positively to Turkishproposal to establish a commission of historians to examineTurkish and Armenian archives and to share their findingswith the public. Armenians say more than 1.5 million Armenians were killedin a systematic genocide in the hands of the Ottomansduring the World War I, before modern Turkey was born in1923. Turkey says the death toll is inflated and that the deathsoccurred at a time of civil unrest.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/488716