YEREVAN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday deleted a social media post from Vice President J.D. Vance's account that recalled the massacres of Armenians as "genocide," saying the message, which contradicts the position of U.S. ally Turkey, was posted in error.

Vance, who made a two-day trip to Armenia, visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan during the first-ever visit by a U.S. vice president to the South Caucasus republic.

Vance and his wife Osha participated in a ceremony to lay a wreath of carnations, chrysanthemums and roses at the site, which commemorates the 1.5 million Armenians who lost their lives during the final years of Ottoman rule.

Vance's official X account later described the visit as being intended to "honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide."

After the post was deleted, one of Vance's aides, who asked not to be named, said that staff members who were not part of the entourage had posted the message by mistake.

A spokesperson for Vance said, "This account is staffed and its purpose is to share photos and videos of the Vice President's activities," adding that his views are clearly expressed in his comments to journalists. Vance did not use the term "genocide" in those comments.

Turkey is a NATO ally of the United States, and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has maintained close ties with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, including supporting the American diplomatic initiative on the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.