Washington  - Barack Obama's campaign promise to recognize that the slaughter of more than 1 million Armenians in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire was genocide has left him in a difficult spot as president.

Since he took office, the influential Armenian-American community has been clamoring for Obama to follow through on the declaration and expressed disappointment that he did not do so during his trip in early April to Turkey.

Now, Armenian-American activists are hoping he will make good on that promise Friday, which marks the 94th anniversary of the beginning of the massacre that left an estimated 1.5 million Armenians dead.

But standing in the way is Turkey, which steadfastly denies a genocide took place and has vowed that any such declaration would severely damage Washington's relationship with a NATO ally vital to US interests in the region.

Offending Turkey on the issue could jeopardize US military supply routes to Iraq and Afghanistan through the Incirlik Air Base, and Ankara's support is critical on a host of other issues, including Middle East peace, Iran and energy.

"We're caught up in our strategic interests in that part of the world," said Steven Cook, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington-based think tank.

Turkey says the Armenian death toll was much lower and came about as a consequence of war, not borne out of a policy to systematically eliminate the Armenian population. The deaths must be viewed within the context of an Armenian uprising and its alliance with invading Russian troops, Ankara insists.

Turkey has reacted unkindly to nations that have defied it's position on the Armenian issue, and on Wednesday reportedly recalled its ambassador to Canada after Prime Minister Stephen Harper reaffirmed his country's view that the massacre amounted to genocide.

During last year's election campaign, Obama stated that he was ready to call the events from 1915-23 a genocide.

"America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides," he said. "I intend to be that president."

But personal views on the campaign trail can be different from presidential views and the need to safeguard US interests - and the important friendship with Ankara. While in Turkey on April 6, Obama said his views "are on the record, and I have not changed my views," but explicitly avoided the dreaded "g" word.

Instead, Obama pointed to ongoing negotiations between Turkey and Armenia to normalize relations. He has urged the two sides to work toward resolving historic differences.

"What I want to do is not focus on my views right now but focus on the views of the Turkish and the Armenian people," Obama said. "If they can move forward and deal with a difficult and tragic history, then I think the entire world should encourage them."

Cook said that Obama is trying to navigate the issue and give time for Turkey and Armenia to address their differences before weighing in on the subject, with the inherent risks of derailing the ongoing negotiations or jeopardizing US interests.

"That isn't to say there isn't a moral issue here," Cook said. "But given what the strategic interests are, the president is taking the step to say, 'Let's see what transpires between Armenia and Turkey before taking a step that could undermine our position in the region.'"

The dilemma is unlikely to go away.

A resolution has been introduced in Congress by Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat whose district in southern California is heavily Armenian-American, to declare that a genocide took place. "We have a compelling moral obligation to speak plainly about the past," he said.

The last time a similar resolution made its way through the House of Representatives, Turkey recalled its ambassador, threatening to unravel relations with Washington. Then-president George W Bush persuaded congressional leaders to quash the resolution before it came to a full vote.

The American-American community is not giving up. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) continues to press Obama to use genocide to describe the deaths, arguing that geo-politics should not play a role in such a moral tragedy and that Washington's silence makes it "complicit in Turkey's genocide denial."

Elizabeth Chouldjian, a spokeswoman for the ANCA, said that on Friday's anniversary: "We are looking for him to do the right thing." (dpa)