US congressional support flagged on Wednesday for a resolution calling the World War I massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks "genocide" amid concern over Turkey's threat to cut off support for the Iraq War.
In apparent retreat from their initial stance, a group of Democrats in the House of Representatives, including the influential John Murtha, said they would "very vigorously" oppose the measure cleared last week by a committee.
"If voted today it would not pass on the floor," Murtha said.
Anger has been brewing in Turkey over the US "genocide" resolution, which Ankara deems unacceptable. Turkey recalled its ambassador to Washington and has threatened to cut off logistical support of US-led war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a bid to calm tensions, US President George W. Bush has urged Turkey not to carry out cross-border strikes on Kurdish rebels in Iraq -- advice shrugged off by lawmakers in Ankara who greenlighted such attacks -- and called on Democrats to abandon the "genocide" measure.
"What happened nearly 100 years ago was terrible. The point is, we have to deal with today's world," Murtha told a news conference.
"Turkey is a strong ally of the US and I believe that this resolution could harm our relations with [them] and therefore our strategic interests in the region," Murtha said.
The lawmakers' about-face was welcomed by the US State Department.
"I am pleased to note that over the last 24 hours ... there have been a number of members of Congress who have now come out and publicly stated that they have changed their view and would no longer be supporting this resolution," spokesman Tom Casey said on Wednesday.
Earlier, Bush once more came out against the resolution.
"Congress has more important work to do than antagonizing a democratic ally in the Muslim world, especially one that's providing vital support for our military every day," Bush told reporters, calling the proposed measure "counterproductive."
The bill brands as a genocide the 1915 massacre of more than 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire. Turkey believes fewer Armenians were killed -- 250,000 to 500,000 -- and strongly rejects the notion that it was genocide.
Democrat Alcee Hastings, who heads the House committee on Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said Turkey was a "key strategic ally" and a "moderate Muslim country."
Officials from both Turkey and the White House over the past few days have lobbied members of Congress to oppose a vote on the resolution, which is expected next month.
The New York Times said on Wednesday that former Republican lawmaker Robert Livingston, 64, had become Turkey's chief lobbyist in the US Congress -- for a fee of more than US$12 million.
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