GOT SEES TIFA AS OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE IMPROVED

UNCLAS ANKARA 006190 SIPDIS DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR FOR ERRION USDOC FOR RUSNAK USDA FOR FAS FOR ITP FOR BENNETT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD EINV TU SUBJECT: GOT SEES TIFA AS OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE IMPROVED BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ¶1. (U) During an October 11 meeting with visiting State EUR/SE Director Doug Silliman, Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (FTU) Director General of Agreements Tevfik Mengu said that the upcoming November 30 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting provides an opportunity for Turkey to promote its improved business environment to US companies. He agreed that it could be useful to hold private sector related events on the margins of the TIFA. He acknowledged that there were bilateral trade issues (e.g. IPR and agricultural issues) that must be addressed but added that FTU will also brief the US delegation on its 2006 "Year of America" campaign during which FTU Minister Kursad Tuzmen hopes to strengthen trade relations with North and South America. ¶2. (U) On the subject of the head of the Turkish TIFA delegation (currently FTU Deputy Undersecretary Ulker Guzel is slated to lead the GOT delegation),Mengu said he would speak again with FTU Undersecretary Tuncer Kayalar about the issue and "try to solve the problem" so that Kayalar would lead the Turkish side. FTU Head of the Agreements Department Cigdem Kilickaya, who attended the meeting, however, pointed out that FTU Deputy Undersecretary Abdullah Koten led the GOT delegation at the 2002 TIFA meeting. ¶3. (U) Comment: We will continue working with FTU to encourage Kayalar's participation as the lead Turkish official. Post would also like to work with USTR and other Washington agencies to flesh out the concept of business-oriented events on the margins of the TIFA Council. End comment. MCELDOWNEY