The Queen and Prince Philip are travelling to Turkey
The Queen and Prince Philip are travelling to Turkey for a four-day state visit, their first to the country since 1971. During the trip, they will lay a wreath at the tomb of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey.
They will also be guests at a state banquet hosted by President Abdullah Gul and his wife Hayrunnisa. She is likely to wear an Islamic headscarf despite a ban on them in public and governmental building.
The BBC’s royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the controversial issue of the headscarf would confront the Queen as soon as she stepped off the plane. Turkey’s staunchly secular military is deeply opposed to headscarves being worn, while the ruling party, which has Islamic roots, believes religious symbols should be more openly accepted.
EU accession
After visiting Ataturk’s tomb on Tuesday, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend a banquet at the president’s palace. Later in the trip, they will visit the western city of Bursa and will tour a school in Istanbul which has links with UK students.
The royal visit highlights the importance of Britain’s relationship with Turkey.
Britain is a strong supporter of Turkey’s attempts to join the EU. The country became an official candidate in 1999 and entered formal accession negotiations in 2005. It is seen as a key ally in the fight against terrorism.
In recent years it has also led the International Security Assistance Force fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited Turkey last November.bbc
