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 organizations held a separate protest at a square five kilometres (three miles) 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 against 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.

The Turkish army said earlier this month it may conduct more strikes against PKK militants who use the north of Iraq as a base in their 23-year armed separatist campaign against Turkey.

Monday's talks are also expected to focus on US demands for NATO allies to send more troops and equipment to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, especially in the south where the rebels are most active.

Last week, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Ankara will soon decide on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, a day after army chief Yasar Buyukanit opposed the idea, saying that his forces were already busy fighting Kurdish rebels.

Turkey, which twice led the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, has 1,150 soldiers stationed in Kabul.

US efforts to curb Iran's regional influence and its nuclear programme, as well as faltering peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, are also expected to be on the agenda of Cheney's Ankara talks.

Cheney is set to fly to Istanbul later Monday before leaving Turkey on Tuesday, wrapping up a regional tour that has taken him to Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

© 2008 Agence France-Presse