ANKARA, March 24: US Vice President Dick Cheney held talks with Turkish leaders in Ankara on Monday amid minor protests denouncing US policies in the Middle East, before wrapping up a nine-day overseas tour.

Cheney, who flew in from Israel, held a meeting with President Abdullah Gul shortly after landing at Ankara’s Esenboga airport amid heavy security. No statements were made after the talks. The US vice president is set to meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and chief of general staff, General Yasar Buyukanit. His itinerary does not include any press conferences.

As Cheney arrived for his talks with Gul, dozens of protesters from a minor Turkish party demonstrated at the gates of the presidential complex, chanting slogans against the United States and the Turkish government.

Watched by riot police, the protesters burned an effigy of Cheney, the NTV news channel reported.

Several non-governmental organisations held a separate protest at a square five kilometres away, denouncing Cheney’s visit and US policies regarding Iraq and Afghanistan, the Anatolia news agency reported. “Cheney get out of Turkey! US get out of Iraq!” read one of their banners.

“We have a question for the (Turkish) government: What are you discussing with war criminals? Is it not clear what they have done in Afghanistan, Iraq?” said the groups’ spokesman, reading out their declarations.

The crowd dispersed peacefully. Cheney is expected to discuss Turkish army operations again st rebels from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) holed up in northern Iraq, following a major week-long ground offensive by Turkey last month.

Iraq condemned the operation as a violation of its sovereignty, but Washington, which considers the PKK a terrorist organisation along with much of the international community, provides Turkey with intelligence on rebel movements and is believed to back Turkish strikes.—AFP