Press Release                   Beirut 17-5-2008

A Turkish-Arab Prime Ministers Summit to be held
On 12 June 2008

Erdogan Invites Arab Prime Ministers to Participate at
the 3rd Turkish Arab Forum

Amr Mousa and Arab Ministers of Finance and Economy
will be leading Participants at the Forum

The Forum Attracts Major Arab Investment Groups

The Prime Minister of Turkey, H.E. Recep Tayyib Erdogan, has invited Arab prime ministers to the Third Turkish Arab Economic Forum to be held in Istanbul on 12-13 June 2008. The League of Arab States will participate at the Forum with a high-level delegation led by the Secretary General, H.E. Amr Mousa.

Although the Turkish Arab Economic Forum has been held annually in Istanbul since 2006, the Turkish government attaches special importance to the Third Forum due to the exceptional in the region and the major role being played by Turkey government amidst these conditions.

Well-informed sources expect active participation at the Forum by a number of Arab prime ministers thus transforming the event into a Turkish-Arab summit at the level of heads of government.

Although the basic aspect of the Forum is economic, the Turkish Prime Minister’s invitation to Arab prime ministers, in addition to the participation of the Secretary General of the Arab League and several Arab and Turkish ministers of finance and economy, will give the Forum a strategic dimension such that it will discuss highly important issues, including the future of political and economic relations between Turkey and the Arab world, other political and security issues, the management of regional water resources, and other topics.

What gives the Third Forum additional importance and significance is that the Turkish finance minister has invited his counterparts in the Arab world and neighboring countries to a special meeting to discuss means of improving financial, banking and investment relations and the required modes of achieving that.

The Forum is organized by Al-Iktissad Wal Aamal Group in cooperation with the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and the League of Arab States.

For the third successive year, the forum will be sponsored and attended by the Turkish prime Minister and a host of distinguished speakers from Turkey, the Arab world and the Eurasian countries, along with government officials, policy makers in banking and finance sectors, businessmen, investors and leaders of well known Arab, Turkish and international institutions and companies. Accordingly, the forum will be an ideal platform and opportunity for a full discussion and analysis of issues related to Arab-Turkish cooperation, and the priorities and opportunities in this respect.

Some of main topics on the agenda of the forum include:

• Latest economic developments and reforms and the investment environment in Turkey and the Arab countries.
• Economic and political cooperation between Turkey and the Arab world.
• Business and investment opportunities available for Arab and Turkish companies in the Eurasian countries.
• Prospects for joint projects in the fields of oil, gas, manufacturing industries and infrastructure development.
• Investment opportunities in the various sectors and in development projects and privatization programs in Turkey and the Arab countries.
• Turkish and Arab Partnership in Real Estate and land development projects.
• Turkish and Arab cooperation and coordination in water resources and energy.

The Forum is sponsored by a large number of leading Arab and Turkish companies, including the National Commercial Bank, Saudi Cables, the Credit Cards Services Company, BankMed and its affiliate Turkland bank (T-Bank), and Oger Telecom.