David Cameron is expected to strongly align himself with Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union, hailing its potential as a "unifier" between East and West.
On a visit to Ankara, the Prime Minister is due to say Turkey has a major role to play in securing international peace and security.
He will dismiss concerns among some in the EU about allowing a Muslim country into the union, praising the country's secular democracy and its support for the Nato military alliance.
Mr Cameron will use a keynote speech in the Turkish capital to promise to be the "strongest possible advocate" of its ambitions of a seat in Brussels.
"Turkey can be a great unifier, because instead of choosing between East and West, Turkey has chosen both," he will add.
His stance on Turkey's accession to the EU is at odds with that of many Tory right-wingers.
Turkey is the world's 16th largest economy and is expected to be the third fastest-growing, after China and India, by 2017.
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