Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain has praised the “notable leadership” of the President of Turkey as she presented him with an award for improving international relations.
Abdullah Gul received the Chatham House Prize for his “work in reconciliation and modernisation within Turkey and overseas”.
“Mr Gul has worked to deepen Turkey’s traditional ties with the Middle East, mediate between the fractious groups in Iraq and bring together the Afghan and Pakistani leaderships to try to resolve disputes during 2009. He has also made significant efforts to reunify the divided island of Cyprus and has played a leading role, along with his Armenian counterpart, in initiating a process of reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia,” the think tank said.
After receiving his award at a ceremony in Banqueting House, central London, Mr Gul said the prize honoured the “resilience” of the Turkish people.
“Although I take personal pride in receiving it, the award presented to me tonight truly acknowledges the progress achieved by the Turkish nation in recent years despite many internal and external difficulties.
“I remember how Turkish people defined the nation’s misfortune following the unprecedented economic crisis in 2001 in the midst of prospects of war looming in the region.”
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