The Obama administration says it will work at blocking the passage of a bill labelling the Ottoman-era massacre of Armenians as "genocide", after key-ally Turkey reacted furiosly by recalling its ambassador
"We will work very hard to make sure it does not go to the House floor," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters when asked to comment on Turkey's withdrawal of its ambassador over a congressional panel's adoption of the bill.
Protests in Turkey
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A furious Turkey warned of damage to its ties with the United States and protestors descended on the US embassy on Friday.
Having recalled its ambassador immediately after the resolution was adopted Thursday, Ankara warned Washington risked a showdown with a key Muslim ally if the motion advanced to a full vote at the House of Representatives.
Turkey is "seriously disturbed" that President Barack Obama's administration "did not put enough weight" behind efforts to prevent the resolution from being passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.
"We expect the US administration to make more efficient efforts from now on," he said.
"We hope Turkish-US ties will not be put to a new test ... otherwise, the prospect that we will face will not be a positive one," he added, calling the issue a "matter of national honour".
US committe ignored White House
NATO member Turkey is a prominent Muslim partner in US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and Iraq, and lies on a key route taking oil and natural gas to Western markets.
The committee passed the non-binding resolution by a 23-22 margin, ignoring pressure from Turkey and the White House.
The non-binding resolution calls on Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the "genocide" and to label the mass killings as such in his annual statement on the issue.
President Abdullah Gul has warned that "Turkey will not be responsible for the negative ramifications" of the vote.
As Turkish anger swelled, a crowd of around 100 demonstrated outside the US embassy in Ankara, laying a black wreath that read "We did not commit genocide, we defended the motherland."
Protestors chanted anti-US slogans at a similar demonstration in Istanbul.
Reconcilliation with Armenia endangered
Davutoglu said the resolution raised the "the risk of stopping" bridge-building efforts with Armenia.
"We are determined to normalise Turkish-Armenian ties but we are against this being secured through the intervention of third parties and through pressure," he said.
Following US-backed talks to end decades of hostility, Turkey and Armenia signed a deal in October to establish diplomatic relations and open their border.
But the process has already hit obstacles, with Ankara accusing Yerevan of trying to tweak terms of the deal and Yerevan charging that Ankara is not committed to ratifying the accord.
The government of Azerbaijan, a close ally of Turkey which is locked in a conflict with Armenia over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region, also warned of damage to US interests.
"This unilateral decision was accepted under pressure from pro-Armenian congressmen.
"It contradicts the state interests of the United States and the interests of the American people," Ali Hasanov, a senior aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, told AFP.
Azerbaijan is a key partner in US-backed energy projects in the Caspian Sea.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several other countries.
Turkey argues 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in what was a civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.
Washington has traditionally condemned the killings, but refrained from calling them a "genocide", anxious not to strain relations with Turkey.
During a visit to Turkey in April, Obama said he retained his view that the killings amounted to genocide but stressed that reconciliation between the two neighbours was more important.
