Agence France Presse
March 19, 2010 Friday 8:42 PM GMT

Turkish president wins international relations prize

LONDON, March 19 2010

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has won this year’s prestigious Chatham
House prize for improving international relations, the British foreign
policy think-tank announced Friday.

Gul was named for his work in deepening Turkey’s traditional ties with
the Middle East, his efforts to mediate between fractious groups in
Iraq and for bringing together the Afghan and Pakistan leaderships
during 2009.

The think-tank also praised his efforts to reunify the divided island
of Cyprus, his role in beginning the process of reconciliation between
Turkey and Armenia and his work in bringing Turkey closer to the
European Union.

"President Gul is recognised 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," it said.

Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International
Affairs, awards the annual prize to the statesperson considered to
have made the most significant contribution to improving international
relations that year.

Previous recipients are Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,
who won it last year, and John Kufuor, then president of Ghana, who
won in 2008.

Gul will be invited to London later this year to collect the award.