Queen Elizabeth II of England and the Duke of Edinburgh concluded a four-day state visit to Turkey on May 16 with a reception at the British embassy, given in their honour.

The Queen and her husband Prince Philip were on a visit in Ankara from May 12. She described Turkey as a "confident and dynamic democracy," Agence France-Presse agency said. She praised close ties between Ankara and London and underlined British support for Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

The Queen visited an ancient mosque in Bursa, where she listened to reading of verses of the Koran.

Earlier, the Queen had placed a wreath in a mausoleum holding the remains of Mustafa Kemal, the nationalist leader who became known as Ataturk and who led his country's fight for independence in the 1920s.

On the last day of their visit, the Queen met Turkish football striker Hakan Sukur when he gave a soccer lesson to kids at the home of the British ambassador in Ankara.