Manama: Turkish President Abdullah Gül will travel to Britain on Saturday to receive the Chatham House prize from Queen Elizabeth II, a Turkish daily reported.
Gül, the first Turkish official to receive the prestigious prize, was selected for "being a significant figure for reconciliation and moderation within Turkey and internationally and a driving force behind many of the positive steps that Turkey has taken in recent years."
"The Chatham House award is every year given to statesmen who make the biggest contribution to the improvement of international relations," a written statement from the Presidential Press Centre said, Hurriyet Daily News reported on Friday. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was the winner of the prize last year. Gul came ahead of the two other nominees, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic.
"The Turkish president will give a conference at Chatham House on Turkey's international relations vision and Turkish foreign policy and a conference at Oxford University on democracy and development in the Islamic world," the statement said.
Gül will meet British Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and British Foreign Secretary William Hague and exchange views on regional and international matters, including the European Union and Cyprus, the daily reported.
He will also meet members of the Turkish community living in the United Kingdom, inaugurate the Yunus Emre Foundation Turkish Culture Centre and attend the opening of a Mimar Sinan exhibition.
