Erdogan won a resounding by-election victory

Mr Erdogan - the leader of the governing Justice and Development (AK) Party - met several top officials, including the economy and interior ministers.

The US wants the new cabinet to push for another vote in parliament after MPs narrowly rejected allowing the deployment of more than 60,000 US troops on 1 March.

However, Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said there was no guarantee that the new government would seek a fresh vote.

The consultations on the new cabinet came as Turkish police clashed with anti-US protesters who tried to prevent the unloading of US equipment at one of Turkey's ports.

Purge expected

Turkish President Necdet Sezer asked Mr Erdogan to form a government on Tuesday, after Mr Erdogan won a seat in parliamentary by-elections at the weekend.

Armed police confronted protesters in Iskenderun

The victory cleared the way for Mr Erdogan - who had been banned from holding office because of a past conviction for inciting religious hatred - to take over as prime minister.

Analysts say Mr Erdogan is likely to please the US by purging ministers opposed to the US deployment.

But they say Mr Erdogan may not present his cabinet list for the approval of President Sezer until Friday, further delaying any troop movements.

On Wednesday, Mr Yakis said: "There's no decision yet on whether there will be a second vote. We need to decide first whether there will be a new motion."

Ankara and Washington still remain locked in talks over an aid-for-bases deal worth about $15bn which would allow US troops onto Turkish soil from where they could launch a "northern front" against Iraq.

The head of the influential Turkish military has said that he believes US troops should be deployed.

But there is widespread public opposition within Turkey - a predominantly Muslim country - to any war with Iraq.

The government in Ankara also fears that any US-led war in Iraq could lead to the creation of independent Kurd territories in Iraq on Turkey's southern border.

Clashes

Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish police fired warning shots during a protest by anti-US demonstrators who were trying to enter the Mediterranean port of Iskenderun.

Turkish television showed police firing in the air and wielding truncheons as they fought a crowd of about 300 members of the Turkish Communist Party.

American ships are waiting at Iskenderun to unload equipment - believed to include tanks.

The US embassy has said the US army is helping modernise Turkish ports and airports - a step authorised by the Turkish parliament.

But some Turkish MPs have demanded a parliamentary investigation, suspecting that equipment now being unloaded at Turkish ports will be used in combat.