President Abdullah Gül and his wife, Hayrünnisa Gül, will be received by Queen Elizabeth II at London’s Buckingham Palace today, marking the first such official visit to the country by a Turkish president in 23 years.
President Gül will also be meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Foreign Minister William Hague and London Mayor Boris Johnson during his visit, while he is also expected to deliver a speech in the British Parliament, as well as in Wilton Park, the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Gül visited Britain in November 2010 to meet with Queen Elizabeth II to receive the Chatham House Prize, which was awarded to him by the Royal International Institute Chatham House for that year.
Gül’s current visit reciprocates
Queen Elizabeth II’s official visit to Turkey on May 16, 2008, while Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is also accompanying President Gül with his wife on the trip, according to reports.
Mall Avenue, the main road leading to London’s Buckingham Palace, was decorated with Turkish and British flags in honor of the visit.
Following their arrival on Nov. 20, Gül and his wife attended a concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Gül will also be visiting the Olympic Park, where the 2012 Olympic Games are to be held and the Turkish war cemetery in Portsmouth.