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RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHDA #0142/01 1661109
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151109Z JUN 06
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4194
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0004
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 0001
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0004
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0742
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0643
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0106
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0174
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0794

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000142 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON PREL PHUM CASC TU SY IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY: IRAQI INTERNATIONAL FAIR IN GAZIANTEP 
 
ADANA 00000142  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: The first Iraqi International Fair was held in 
Gaziantep on June 7-11, with the goal of increasing economic and 
trade relations between Turkey and Iraq, as well as among other 
countries in the region.  With high-level business and 
government participation from Turkey, Iraq and other countries 
surrounding Turkey, the fair received guardedly positive 
reviews, and raised hopes of increasing Gaziantep's exports to 
neighboring countries by as much as 50 percent. End summary. 
 
2.(U) AmCon Adana officers attended the opening ceremony of the 
Iraqi International Fair, jointly organized by the Iraqi 
Ministry of Trade; Gaziantep Chamber of Industry; the Turkish 
Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges; and the Turkish 
Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade, on June 7,2006 in Gaziantep. 
The fair ended on June 11.  Among the attendees at the official 
opening ceremony were Turkish State Minister in charge of 
Foreign Trade Kursat Tuzmen;  Turkish Minister of Industry and 
Commerce Ali Coskun; Turkish Minister of Public Works Faruk 
Nafiz Ozak; Georgian Minister of Economy and Development Irakli 
Chogovadze; Iraqi Commercial Counselor Adnan Al Sharif; Iraqi 
Cultural Counselor Jaber Al Jabiri; Syrian Minister of Public 
Works Hamud Al-Husayn; representatives of chambers of industry 
and commerce from neighboring provinces as well as Northern 
Cyprus. 
 
------------------------------------- 
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE OPENING ADDRESSES 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) In their opening addresses, the chairmen of Gaziantep 
Chambers of Industry and Commerce emphasized their hopes that 
the fair would develop economic relations between Turkey and 
Iraq, and asserted that Turks and Iraqis were the real owners of 
the Middle East.  The speakers emphasized Gaziantep's pioneering 
role in developing these regional trade relations.  Iraqi 
Commercial Counselor Adnan Al-Sharif pointed out that foreign 
investors had doubts about investing in Iraq because of the 
turmoil in that country, but he assured listeners that the 
north, south and middle parts of the country were safe.  Iraqi 
Cultural Counselor Jaber Al Jabiri praised Turkey's democratic 
progress, and asserted that Iraq and other countries neighboring 
Turkey would like to follow Turkey's democratic example. Turkish 
State Minister in charge of Foreign Trade Kursat Tuzmen said 
that the fair organizers planned to hold the fair in Gaziantep 
every year, and hoped that Gaziantep could play a more active 
role in international trade in the region. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
PROFILE OF SECTORS AND PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (U) Number of participating companies by country 
 
Country             Quantity 
Turkey                  508 
Italy                           1 
China                           3 
Northern Cyprus         11 
Czech Republic          1 
India                           1 
Egypt                           3 
Croatia                 1 
Australia                       1 
Syria                           2 
Iran                            3 
Jordan                  2 
Iraq                            1 
 
¶4. (U) This was not a specialist fair.  All kinds of products 
were exhibited by participant companies, varying from confection 
to heavy construction machinery. The sectors covered included 
construction machinery, automotive and related industries, 
energy, electricity, electronics, telecommunication and 
information, food and food processing technologies, educational 
tools and equipment, consumer durables, hygiene and cosmetics, 
textiles and apparel. 
We noticed that there were no companies from the US represented 
 
ADANA 00000142  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
at the fair. The Turkish-French Trade Association, and the 
Turkish-Italian Chamber had booths at the fair. According to the 
organizers, a total of 65,000 people visited the fairgrounds 
during the event; 11,000 people from other cities in Turkey, and 
7,000 people from Iraq, Syria, and other countries. 
 
------------------------------- 
INCREASED TRADE WITH THE REGION 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The Iraqi International Fair can be seen as the latest 
expression of Turkey's efforts within its strategy since the 
early 2000's to increase trade with surrounding countries.  As 
part of this strategy, Turkey specifically hopes to take 
advantage of Iraq's high rate of demand for nearly all kinds of 
goods and services to increase its exports with Iraq. 
 
¶6. (U) Fair organizers did not anticipate that the fair would 
bring a rise in exports in the short term. Nevertheless, 
Gaziantep companies are reportedly optimistic that the fair may 
help create gradual growth in trade between Turkey and Iraq, as 
well as other neighboring countries. On the other hand, a group 
of businessmen from Adana's textile sector who visited the fair 
complained that they were unable to meet any Iraqi companies. 
During a visit on the second day of the fair, Iraqi Minister of 
Commerce Abdulfarah El Sudany explained that Iraqi companies' 
and ministries' plans were still at the early stages of 
preparation, and indicated that he expected greater 
participation by Iraqi companies in the future. The Gaziantep 
Chamber of Industry announced that it hoped to see the fair held 
in Gaziantep next year, and that the Chamber was hoping to see a 
rise in the percentage of Gaziantep`s exports to its neighbors 
of up to 50 percent. 
REID