Ankara - Britain's Queen Elizabeth praised the close ties between Turkey and the Britain and expressed British support for Turkey's efforts to join the European Union on the first day of her official visit to Turkey. Speaking at a state banquet held in her honour at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, the Queen described Turkey as a "confident, 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 that 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 became an official candidate in 1999 and entered formal accession negotiations in 2005. The country is also seen as a key ally in the fight against terrorism.
After arriving at Ankara's Esenboga Airport on Tuesday afternoon, the queen, 82, and her husband Prince Philip, 86, laid a wreath at the at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern secular Turkey.
In the visitors book at mausoleum the Queen wrote that was an honour to pay respects to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, "a much valued friend of the United Kingdom and one of the great figures of modern history."
The queen then attended an official welcome and 21-gun-salute, followed by a private meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
The banquet itself was the cause of some controversy within Turkey with staunch secularists expressing outrage that 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 royal couple are scheduled to visit the western city of Bursa and will tour a school in Istanbul which has links with British students, as well as visiting the city's Modern Art Museum, before leaving Turkey on Friday.
The tour comes less than six months since the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Turkey.
