Queen Elizabeth II of England and the Duke of Edinburgh are continuing their four-day visit to Turkey, their first state trip since 1971. On the second day of their trip the couple reviewed a collaborative environmental project launched by Turkish and British schoolchildren.

Teenagers from one of Turkey's most renowned schools in Istanbul and their counterparts from Hackney, an area of London with a large Turkish population, presented the findings to the Royal Couple.

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.

"It is an honour to pay my respects to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a much valued friend of the United Kingdom and one of the greatest figures of modern history," wrote the Queen in the visitors’ book.

The state visit is designed to highlight and strengthen Britain's ties with Turkey. The trip is also thought to be an attempt to bolster Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.