UK News

Britain's Queen Elizabeth leaves Turkey

May 16, 2008, 10:43 GMT

Ankara - Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip on Friday ended a four-day royal visit to Turkey which underlined Britain's strong support for Turkey's bid to join the European Union. At a state banquet on Tuesday the Queen described Turkey as a 'confident and dynamic democracy' which had made great strides in the 36 years since the Queen last visited Turkey. 'For us Turkey is as important now as it has ever been,' the Queen said. In addition to expressing Britain's support for Turkey joining the European Union, the Queen also said the EU was helping Turkey. 'The prospect of joining the European Union has already helped to inspire changes that are improving the lives of its citizens,' she said. 'Turkey is uniquely positioned as a bridge between East and West at a crucial time for the European Union and the world in general.' The banquet itself was the cause of some controversy within Turkey with staunch secularists expressing outrage that President Abdullah Gul's wife Hayrunissa and a number of other wives of ministers wore Islamic-style headscarves, the first time that such a garment had been worn at a state dinner. The chief of General Staff and the leader of the main opposition party boycotted the dinner. During the royal couple's four-day visit the Queen (82) and the Duke of Edinburgh (86) visited the western Turkey city of Bursa on Wednesday and on Thursday toured a school in Istanbul which has links with British students, as well as visiting the city's Modern Art Museum before a reception aboard aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. On Friday the Queen hosted a garden party at the British Embassy in Ankara before leaving for Britain.