40,000 Turks greet Bush with anti-war protests

US PRESIDENT George W Bush's bid to bolster relations with key Middle East ally Turkey was greeted by 40,000 demonstrators chanting anti-American slogans.

There was also a terrorist threat to behead three Turks unless companies stop aiding US forces in Iraq.

Mr Bush hoped to use a NATO summit here to nail down details of the alliance's tentative plan to assist with the training of Iraqi security forces. But he also was getting a reminder of widespread opposition in Turkey to the war in Iraq, its southern neighbour.