For the first time in its near-four-year history the World Free Zone Convention (WFZC) will hold an international meeting in a free zone. ESBAS (The Aegean Development and Operating Company ) in Izmir, Turkey, will host delegates in its own auditorium on April 21-22, 2005. The next few years will be an exciting time for the country as it begins the detailed accession negotiations with the EU, as confirmed in early October. Turkish Airlines will be supporting the initiative by offering discounts to participants on its worldwide routes.

Izmir is Turkey’s third largest city, a thriving port of some 3.5 million inhabitants, strategically situated in the eastern mediterranean region between the countries of the Black Sea, eastern Europe and the Balkans to the north, the Middle East to the south and the EU to the west.