LEAD: Arab Spring tops agenda of Turkish president's visit to Britain

Nov 22, 2011, 16:55 GMT

London - Syria and the renewed turmoil in Egypt were at the top of the agenda of talks between Britain and Turkey, with Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrivomg on a three-day state visit Tuesday.

Gul and his wife Hayrunsia were given a full military welcome in London by Queen Elizabeth II, who is hosting the couple at Buckingham Palace.

Later, the 61-year-old president, who is a former foreign minister of Turkey, held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron. The meeting was dominated by the renewed turmoil in the Middle East, officials said.

The situation in Libya, Afghanistan and Iran was also discussed.

In an interview with the BBC, Gul said the Syrian regime had reached a 'dead end' and was now facing a 'worst-case scenario.'

'In this age, authoritarian regimes or one-party states are no longer acceptable,' said Gul.

It was now 'quite too late' for Syria to push through the reforms he had always demanded from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he added.

Turkey's long struggle for full membership of the European Union (EU), which is backed by Britain, was also discussed, with both sides advocating the mutual extensions of trade ties, officials said.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph newspaper published ahead of the visit, Gul warned western countries against adopting a 'narrow scope' on the question of Turkey's EU membership.

'Those who can think 30 years, 60 years ahead, and who can think about the changing trends in the economy and the changing centres of power, can understand how much strength Turkey can bring to the existing strength of Europe,' he said.

The president and his wife will also visit the Olympic Park in east London, where next year's Olympic Games will be held, before returning to Ankara on Thursday. The queen made a state visit to Turkey in 2008.

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