US officials reassured Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, currently visiting Washington, that they will try to quash a proposed resolution in Congress that condemns as genocide the early 20th century killings of Armenians.

In talks with the foreign minister, US officials also discussed Turkish worries that the United States is not doing enough to prevent the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members from operating in northern Iraq. Gül said that Turkey might anticipate certain actions against the PKK, in a press briefing following his meetings on the first leg of his six-day visit to the United States. Gül held a press briefing at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington after he met with US Vice President Dick Cheney and Stephen Hadley, national security advisor of President Bush, at the White House on Monday.

Asked about concrete US steps against PKK and whether Cheney openly supported the closing of the Makmour camp in northern Iraq, where PKK members were based, Gül replied that no one could expect the US officials to give a certain date for an offensive.

"We are serious on the matter and all the issues were discussed frankly," he said. Gül added he thought the meetings were fruitful and that Turkey might anticipate action soon.

In response to a question about the PKK, Gül noted, "Whenever we bring up this topic their embarrassment becomes obvious, because it is impossible to explain terrorist formations in a country controlled by allies. So, I guess there will be developments in very near future that will be up to our expectations."

Gül noted the Iran issue came up during the meetings, but was not the priority, and said that they mostly discussed the Caucasus and energy issues with Cheney.

Gül was also asked whether he had the impression the United Stated intended to intervene militarily in Iran, to which he replied "I did not see any such intention. Everyone favors the resolution of these matters through peaceful ways." President George W. Bush's administration is alarmed that the suggested congressional resolution could disrupt efforts to repair strained relations stemming from perceptions in Ankara that regional instability caused by the US-led war in Iraq have harmed Turkish interests.

The administration opposed previous attempts by members of Congress to pass resolutions recognizing the 1915-1919 killings in Anatolia of up to 1.5 million Armenians as an organized genocide. The resolution introduced in the House of Representatives in January is thought to stand a much better chance of passing a floor vote.

State Department officials say the administration will work with members of Congress to head off the resolution. "A congressional resolution would be a tremendous blow to our bilateral relationship," said US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew J. Bryza. "We are working harder than usual."

Turkey has adamantly denied claims by scholars that its predecessor state, the Ottoman government, caused the Armenian deaths in a genocide. The Turkish government has said the toll is wildly inflated, and Armenians were killed or displaced in civil unrest during the disarray surrounding the empire's collapse.

In meetings with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Gül is expected to press the administration to block the resolution. But Bush will have to persuade the new Democratic-controlled congress, which does not need presidential approval for such a resolution. Members behind the proposed bill have said they expect a push by the administration and lobbyists working for the Turkish government to keep the resolution from a full vote by the House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will decide whether to offer the bill for a full vote if, as expected, it is approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has expressed support for the motion.