Dozens of riot police were deployed around government buildings where Powell met with Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Security was also beefed up around the US embassy.

Police detained about 50 protestors outside the foreign ministry minutes before Powell arrived after the demonstrators -- kept at a distance by a police barricade -- began hurling eggs at the security forces.

Several protesters, who were wrestled to the ground by police officers, shouted: "Powell is murderer, get out of our country" and "We will not be American soldiers."

Some 500 people, mostly from left-wing parties, waited for Powell outside the office of the prime minister chanting "Yankee go home," "Powell, game over, go home fast," and "The imperialists will be defeated."

Police kept the demonstrators away from the building.

Four left-wing activisits carrying bottles with red paint managed to break through the security cordon, but were immediately detained.

Staunchly anti-war public opinion led the Turkish parliament to reject last month a US request to deploy US troops in the country ahead of an attack on Iraq.

Powell was meeting with top officials in Ankara in a bid to mend strained relations between the two allies.

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