Turkish State Visit Programme

The President of the Republic of Turkey and Mrs Gül will pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom as the guests of The Queen, from 22 November to 24 November.

During their visit, the President and Mrs Gül will stay at Buckingham Palace.

SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER

The President and Mrs Gül arrive in the United Kingdom on the afternoon of Sunday, 20 November, at London Heathrow Airport. They are greeted by The Viscount Hood, Lord-in-Waiting, on behalf of The Queen.

MONDAY, 21ST NOVEMBER

Before the State Visit begins on Tuesday 22 November, The President of the Republic of Turkey gives the Keynote Address at the CBI Annual Conference, Grosvenor House Hotel.

TUESDAY, 22 NOVEMBER

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall greet the President and Mrs Gül at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and accompany them to Horse Guards Parade.

The President of the Republic of Turkey and Mrs Gül receive a Ceremonial Welcome on Horse Guards Parade, where The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, formally greet the President and Mrs Gül. The President, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, then review a Guard of Honour. Afterwards, the President and Mrs Gül join The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh for a state carriage procession along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.After a private lunch at Buckingham Palace given by The Queen, Her Majesty conducts The President and Mrs Gül to the Picture Gallery to view an exhibition of Turkish related items from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives.

Later the President and Mrs Gül visit Westminster Abbey where the President lays a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

The President of the Republic of Turkey visits 10 Downing Street where the President holds talks with the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Mrs Gül visit the Royal Collection.

The President later receives a call at Buckingham Palace by the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

In the evening, The Queen gives a State Banquet for the President and Mrs Gül at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and the President both make speeches at the start of the Banquet.

WEDNESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER

The President and Mrs Gül are hosted by Wilton Park at The Royal Society where the President delivers the inaugural Wilton Park Annual Address. This Address is titled “Historic transition in the Middle East and its impact on global politics”. It is followed by a short Question and Answer session moderated by the Chief Executive of Wilton Park, Mr Richard Burge.

The President and Mrs Gül then visit the Olympic Park, Stratford, where they meet the Rt. Hon. William Hague, M.P., Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; Mr Boris Johnson, Mayor of London; the Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games; and Mr John Armitt, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority. They take a tour of the Park, and discuss sustainability, urban regeneration and legacy issues in planning the Olympic Games.

The President of the Republic of Turkey then attends the UK-Turkey Chief Executive Officer Forum Lunch in the Locarno Suite, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Afterwards, the President and Mrs Gül visit Clarence House where they are received by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Their Excellencies view a display of the work of The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment and meet students from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. The Prince of Wales then presents Dr Farhan Ahmad Nizami, the Director of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and participants from the Young Muslim Leadership Programme. Their Excellencies take tea with Their Royal Highnesses in the Garden Room.

Later that afternoon, the President and Mrs Gül visit the Palace of Westminster, where the President addresses the All Party Parliamentary Groups, Members of Parliament and other invited guests in the Royal Robing Room, followed by a short Reception.

In the evening, the President and Mrs Gül attend a Banquet at Guildhall given by The Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation, in the presence of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. The President makes a speech at the end of the banquet.

THURSDAY, 24 NOVEMBER

The President receives a call at Buckingham Palace by the Leader of the Opposition.

The President of the Republic of Turkey and Mrs Gül formally bid farewell to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at the Grand Entrance, Buckingham Palace.

The President and Mrs Gül visit Her Majesty’s Naval Base, Portsmouth. The President tours HMS Dauntless while Mrs Gül tours the Victory Museum after which the President and Mrs Gül attend a lunch on HMS Victory given by the Second Sea Lord in the Great Cabin. Following lunch their Excellencies are conducted on an historical tour of the ship.

In the afternoon, the President and Mrs Gül visit Stansted Park, Rowlands Castle, where they tour the house, and take tea with the Earl of Bessborough, Chairman of Trustees, Stansted Park Foundation.

The Lord Chamberlain later bids farewell to The President of the Republic of Turkey and Mrs. Gül on behalf of The Queen at Southampton Airport.