Shocking footage has emerged showing violent clashes between protesters demonstrating against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his suited bodyguards and supporters in Washington DC.

Authorities said nine people were hurt and two arrests were made during the altercation, which took place outside of the residence of the Turkish ambassador.

In the disturbing video, protesters were seen being knocked to the ground and then kicked - sometimes repeatedly in the head - by men in suits.

Footage from the scene shows two elderly men, believed to be protesters, bleeding from the head - their clothing covered in blood.

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Shocking footage has emerged showing violent clashes between people protesting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters in Washington DC

Two elderly men - who were protesting against the Turkish leader - were pictured after the clashes with blood pouring from their heads

Protesters demonstrating against Turkish President Erdogan were attacked by what appeared to be suited bodyguards (left) of the president

The controversial Turkish president met President Donald Trump at the White House to hold talks aimed at improving strained ties.

After Erdogan left the White House, tensions over the Kurdish issue spilled onto the streets of Washington.

He stopped by the ambassador's residence in the upscale Sheridan Circle neighborhood, where protests prompted city officials to shut down nearby streets.

Flint Arthur, one of those at the protest against Erdogan, told CNN why they were demonstrating.

'We are protesting (Erdogan's) policies in Turkey, in Syria and in Iraq,' he said, before turning the comments towards the tactics adopted by those supporting the president.

'They think they can engage in the same sort of suppression of protest and free speech that they engage in in Turkey.

'They stopped us for a few minutes ... but we still stayed and continued to protest Erdogan's tyrannical regime.'

This suited man - believed to be a bodyguard of the Turkish president - was filmed kicking a female protester who was on the ground. Then he tried to run away

Men in suits were filmed at the start of the video running across the street to physically attack the protesters

The men wearing suits appeared to start the physical altercations - based on videos posted online on Tuesday

A woman (left) had to receive treatment after she was knocked down and kicked by men in suits, while the man on the right had a severe cut to the head

The Guardian reports protesters were carrying the flag of the Kurdish PYD party.

Doug Buchanan, a DC Fire and EMS spokesman, said two of those hurt were seriously injured and were taken to hospitals by ambulance.

He said by phone that emergency personnel were called to the residence about 4.30pm Tuesday.

Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck says the altercation broke out between two groups, but he didn't elaborate on the circumstances.

Police are seen securing the street outside the Turkish embassy on Tuesday after clashes broke out

Washington Police (left and right) battled to control the wild scenes on Tuesday afternoon

He said two people were arrested, including one who was charged with assaulting a police officer.

The altercation came the same day that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with President Donald Trump at the White House.

The State Department declined to comment.

Donald Trump welcomes President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to the White House for talks

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the press following meetings with US President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House

Each side accused the other of being the aggressors.

Pro-Erdogan demonstrator Mustafa Dikilitas, told ABC television: 'We weren't doing anything wrong. We just celebrated our president.'

And another, Busra Eren, said: 'One of the YPG supporters ran across, picked up a megaphone, and hit a Turkish citizen with it.'

Demonstrators on the other side, meanwhile, blamed Erdogan's supporters for the violence.

'All of the sudden they just ran towards us,' Yazidi Kurd demonstrator Lucy Usoyan told ABC, adding that she was attacked by one of the pro-Erdogan supporters.

'Someone was beating me in the head nonstop, and I thought, "Okay, I'm on the ground already, what is the purpose to beat me?"'