Under the leadership of President Abdullah Gül, representatives from the Middle East, the Balkans and the Central Asian republics will convene for the International Cooperation Forum in İstanbul, scheduled for this October.
Presidential Secretary-General Mustafa İsen; President Gül’s chief Middle East adviser, Erşat Hürmüzlü; Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu; Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) Chairman Rona Yırcalı; Erdoğan Aklin; Nevzat Yalçıntaş; and former Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coşkun, who are listed as members of the forum’s advisory board, have already started work on the forum’s activities.
The regional forum, which will have a similar format to Davos, will include meetings on culture, the economy and the media. In addition to statesmen from Middle Eastern, Balkan and Central Asian countries, important public figures will also be invited to attend the forum.
The International Cooperation Forum is expected to take place on Oct. 27, 2010. Organizers have already extended invitations to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan and Bangladesh. As Israel’s involvement may reduce the participation of other countries in the region, it is unlikely that it will be invited.
