ANKARA FORUM PROVIDES GOT PLATFORM FOR PERES,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002779 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2017 TAGS: PREL KMDR TU IS SUBJECT: ANKARA FORUM PROVIDES GOT PLATFORM FOR PERES, ABBAS MEETING REF: ANKARA 2734 Classified By: PolCouns Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) In what the Turkish media has labeled a "mini-summit," President Gul hosted Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at a November 13 meeting of the private sector-led, government supported Ankara Forum. Bringing together Turkish, Israeli, and Palestinian businessmen, the Ankara Forum aims to contribute to the Middle East peace process through the development of qualified industrial zones in the Palestinian territories. ¶2. (SBU) Representatives from the three countries' chambers of commerce and other official observers, including Quartet Representative Tony Blair,s Head of Mission in Jerusalem Ambassador Don Bandler and Kristal Alley of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, met in the morning. The group chose the location for an industrial revitalization zone in the West Bank - Tarkumia, near Hebron - and drafted a joint declaration (reftel). As the land in Tarkumia is privately owned, unlike the similar Erez project in the Gaza Strip, the Ankara Forum will deal exclusively with Palestinian Industrial Fund (PIF),which will work directly with the land owners. In addition, the Ankara Forum members agreed to pursue opening an office in East Jerusalem. Following a formal signing ceremony with Presidents Gul, Peres, and Abbas and subsequent press conference, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) hosted a lunch for all Ankara Forum participants. ¶3. (SBU) The Turkish media celebrated Turkey's role in bringing together the two leaders. "Referans" characterized the event as "the first signature for peace in the Middle East." "Zaman" wrote that Turkey has "managed to bring together Israel and Palestine for implementation of a concrete project for cooperation." "Milliyet" interpreted the decision to start the West Bank project prior to the completion of the stalled Erez industrial zone as a strong GOT message to Hamas to play a constructive role in the Middle East peace process. ¶4. (C) Comment: Aside from the Ankara Forum and their consecutive addresses to the Turkish parliament, Peres and Abbas conducted separate heads-of-state visits. Scheduling a meeting of the Ankara Forum provided the GOT with an apolitical platform to bring together the two leaders to sign an agreement prior to the upcoming Middle East peace process meeting. With Turkey's place the Annapolis table uncertain, the Ankara Forum declaration is the latest in a series of GOT endeavors to bolster its credibility as a regional facilitator and, in turn, prove it merits an invitation. End Comment. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON