Queen Elizabeth II praised Turkey's role as a bridge between West and Islamic world

PanARMENIAN.Net - Queen Elizabeth II praised Turkey's role as a bridge between the West and the Islamic world on Tuesday during her first visit to the predominantly Muslim country in 37 years.



"For us, Turkey is as important now as it has ever been," the British monarch said at a state banquet. "Turkey is uniquely positioned as a bridge between East and West at a crucial time for the European Union and the world in general."



Wearing a tiara and dressed in a white gown decorated with beads, the queen said Turkey is "playing a key role in promoting peace, political stability and economic development in some of the world's most unsettled areas."



She referred to the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, a UN-backed project - cosponsored by Turkey and Spain - aiming to increase dialogue between Western and non-Western cultures and to address the causes of conflict between them, the AP reports.