Foreign Secretary David Milliband is in town - his third official visit here in a little over 18 months. It shows the importance the British Government attaches to this relationship. A morning of bilateral talks with new Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu covers in particular Turkey's EU accession negotiations and the latest efforts for the reunification of Cyprus.

In the afternoon, the Foreign Secretary will talk to young Turkish diplomats, hold a brainstroming session on countering radicalisation and extremism, and meet the Prime Minister. But I'm off on a series of visits in support of British foreign policy objectives covering EU enlargement, developing civil society, energy security, climate change, trade and investment and countering extremism.

First I link up with 15 EU Ambassadors and 13 accompanying journalists on a trip to Sanli Urfa in the south east of the country, close to the Syrian Border.

Sanli Urfa (or "Glorious Urfa" - so called for successfully resisting the French in 1920) is Turkey's tenth largest city, a hot, dry place with a strong Middle Eastern atmosphere. It's prospered in recent years due to the huge nearby South East Anatolian irrigation project, bringing water, agriculture and jobs to this arid land. But it sees income and educational levels well below the Turkish average.

We arrive late and check into a hotel by the Hizir Ibrahim Halilullah, a collonaded mosque and medrese complex housing a famous shrine to the Prophet Abraham.

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