ANKARA, June 26: Four officials were injured on Saturday in clashes between anti-US protesters and Turkish riot police after a largely peaceful protest in Ankara just hours ahead of US President George Bush's arrival.

The clashes came at the end of a demonstration by about 5,000 protesters who chanted slogans such as "USA Murderer, get out of the Middle East" and "Down with American imperialism", Anatolia news agency said.

At one point some 50 people broke away from the main protest in a city centre park and attacked a police line with sticks and stones, as well as smashing windows in nearby office buildings.

Police responded with teargas to disperse the attackers, who Anatolia said were from a left-wing organization called the Socialist Platform of the Oppressed.

The organizers of the protest - opposition parties, trade unions and other organizations - called off the demonstration after the violence.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary gendarme lined Ankara's 34-kilometre road linking Esenboga airport to the central Hilton hotel, where the Bushes will spend the night.

Central Ankara was already closing down on Saturday afternoon, with police blocking off dozens of roads and residents forced to remove parked cars from all streets likely to be used by the presidential party. -AFP