'Ankara Forum', a-tripartite dialogue mechanism established to communicate Palestinian, Turkish and Israeli business world.

ANKARA - "Ankara Forum for Economic Cooperation between Palestine, Israel and Turkey" was established to serve as a permanent tri-partite dialogue mechanism between business people from   Turkey, Palestine and Israel. The Forum hosted representatives from institutions supporting the business world including Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, the Manufactures Association of Israel and the Federation of Palestinian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. Ankara Forum is the first private sector dialogue mechanism between Turkey, Palestine and Israel and in this respect is the first civil society initiative the absence of which was felt severely throughout the peace building process.

The first meeting of the Tri-partite Forum was carried out on April 27-28, 2005 in Ankara. In the first day of the event, the delegation discussed openly the potential for tripartite cooperation between Palestine-Israel and Turkey as well as the current challenges. The meeting firstly focused on the founding principles of the Ankara Forum and than addressed concrete and feasible projects that will facilitate the development of tripartite economic cooperation between the parties. Projects that were found feasible and that were decided to be developed with this perspective were categorized under five titles: industrial investment, tourism, infrastructure, free movement of goods and education. In the third session of the meeting, a management committee was elected and the operating principles of the Ankara Forum were set.

The objective of the Ankara Forum was declared to be enabling business people's contribution to the peace building process in Palestine through feasible projects. In this context, it is necessary to identify specific projects and business branches that can be carried out in cooperation by Turkish, Palestinian and Israeli business people. After setting forth the projects and business branches for tripartite cooperation, the Ankara Forum will work to establish the mechanisms required for the implementation of these projects.

The second meeting of the Forum will be held in Jerusalem in the first half of June 2005. The agenda of the second meeting will be set by the managing board on the basis of the agenda of the first meeting and the potential projects that came to fore. In the meeting a tripartite cooperation mechanism that can be founded across SMEs in Palestine will also be addressed.

The members of the Managing Board of Ankara Forum are:

Chairman: M. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Co-Chairmen: Shraga Brosh, the President of the Israeli Manufacturers' Association

Ahmed Hashem Al-Zughair, the President of the Federation of Palestinian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture

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