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RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0021 1621136
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101136Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4655
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0129
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1019
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1259

UNCLAS ADANA 000021 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EEB FOR A/S DAN SULLIVAN 
USDOC FOR DAS PAUL DYCK 
PRT BABIL FOR DON WELTY 
PRT NAJAF FOR DARREL BROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD ECON PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: GOT URGES GREATER U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN NEXT YEAR'S 
TURKEY-IRAQ TRADE FAIR 
 
REF: ANKARA 850 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The 3rd Iraqi International Trade Fair 
kicked off in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep on May 
¶22.  According to organizers, over 400 local and foreign 
exhibitors from 32 countries were present at the four-day event. 
 High-ranking Turkish and Iraqi officials in attendance told us 
they regard this fair as the major annual event highlighting the 
burgeoning bilateral trade relationship, which is forecast to 
top $5 billion in 2009.  U.S. Consulate Adana took the lead in 
setting up and staffing the U.S. Mission booth. 
¶2.  (SBU)  ACTION REQUEST:  Since the USG has a strong interest 
in fostering closer Turkish-Iraqi relations, Mission Turkey 
strongly recommends enhancing U.S. official participation at 
this event in 2009 and encouraging more American private-sector 
participation.  END ACTION REQUEST AND SUMMARY. 
¶3.  (U)  On May 22, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and 
three Iraqi officials -- Trade Minister Abdulfalah Hassan 
Al-Sudani, Construction and Housing Minister Byan Dzayee and 
Water Resources Minister Abdul Latif Rashid - presided over the 
opening of the 3rd Iraqi International Fair in Gaziantep. 
Turkey's Special Envoy to Iraq Murat Ozcelik and other 
high-ranking officials also joined the ceremony.  In his opening 
remarks, Tuzmen said he hoped the fair would help boost annual 
Turkish-Iraqi trade from $3.5 billion to $5 billion next year. 
At a joint press conference, Al-Sudani recommended opening two 
additional border gates to increase trade volume and strengthen 
Turkish-Iraqi relations.  During the same press event, Tuzmen 
referred to the hardships faced by Turkish companies due to 
Iraqi arrears; he also said he was sanguine about timely 
repayment prospects. 
¶4.  (SBU)  Other diplomatic missions represented at the fair 
included Romania, Iran, Poland, Italy, and China.  China's 
private sector had a strong presence at the fair; with over 15 
exhibitors, they along with the Iraqis had the densest 
representation.  Chinese medicines, timber products, wine 
wholesalers, organic agriculture representatives, engineering 
products and others were on display.  According to the press, 
over the four-day fair a total of 52,000 visitors passed through 
the exhibit hall. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  U.S. Consulate Adana decorated and staffed a booth 
from which we distributed materials on U.S. foreign commercial 
activities, American history and culture, visas, and study in 
the United States.  PRT officers from Najaf and al-Hillah 
supported participation by the chambers of commerce from those 
cities.  (Comment: visitors had mixed reactions to the U.S. 
Mission booth during the fair:  many took the opportunity to 
take a swipe at U.S. policy in Iraq, and some were downright 
hostile.  Since most inquiries to the U.S. stand concerned doing 
business in Iraq, it would be helpful next year to have 
representatives from FCS in Iraq on hand to support our presence 
at the fair.  End comment.) 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Both GOT and GOI repesentatives expressed an interest 
in having high-level USG participation at the event.  This year, 
the GOT had invited the Secretary of Commerce and Ambassador 
Wilson, but without sufficient lead time.  In a brief pull-aside 
at the opening ceremony, Tuzman told the Adana PO that the GOT 
wants enhanced American participation next year.  Turkey's 
interest in a strong U.S. role at this fair and on Iraq business 
opportunities generally was a prominent theme at the U.S.-Turkey 
Economic Partnership Commission meeting April 17 in Washington. 
The Iraqi Trade minister, Abdul Al-Sudani, concurred, noting 
that while there are numerous privately sponsored Iraq trade 
fairs, including one in Jordan widely attended by American 
companies, the Gaziantep fair is the only fair outside Iraq that 
the GOI officially sponsors and for that reason it wants a more 
significant American presence.  There were no known American 
exhibitors at the fair this year. 
 
GREEN