Cablegate: Turkish, Israeli, Palestinian Business Leaders To

VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #0646 0801457
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211457Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1407
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0127
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0290

UNCLAS ANKARA 000646

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR FOR A/S FRIED
NEA FOR A/S WELCH
EEB FOR A/S SULLIVAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECIN ECON ETRD IS KWBG TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH, ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN BUSINESS LEADERS TO
MEET IN WASHINGTON

REF: A. JERUSALEM 512

B. ANKARA 220

1. (SBU) In a March 20 meeting with the Ambassador, Rifat
Hisarciklioglu, the chairman of TOBB, Turkey's leading
business association, described plans to hold a meeting of
the Ankara Forum, which includes Hisarciklioglu,s Israeli
and Palestinian counterparts, on March 26 in Washington, DC.
The point of the meeting is to raise interest and political
support in the United States for the Forum,s project to
develop the Erez Industrial Zone in northern Gaza (see
reftels). Hisarciklioglu and his advisor Guven Sak said they
were making progress in negotiating "trade facilitation" and
security agreements between the Turkish operating company for
the zone and the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

2. (SBU) The meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday,
March 26 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm in the Rayburn Office building.
Hisarciklioglu will be joined by the heads of the Israeli
Manufacturers Association, Shraga Brosh, and the Palestinian
Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ahmad
Zughair. Hisarciklioglu is seeking the participation of
members of Congress, as well as State Department officials
including Assistant Secretaries Fried, Welch, and Sullivan.
Hisarciklioglu, Brosh and Zughair also plan to call on
Representatives Lantos and Ros-Lehtinen, and have requested
meetings with Senators Biden and Lugar, as well as World Bank
President Wolfowitz.

3. (SBU) Hisarciklioglu will seek a separate meeting with EEB
A/S Sullivan to discuss the Erez project and to follow-up on
the recent Economic Partnership Commission discussion of
"Joint Production Opportunties." Hisarciklioglu will also be
participating in American Turkish Council's annual conference
and will meet senior U.S. Chamber of Commerce officials while
in Washington.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/

WILSON

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