USTDA Acting Director Leocadia I. Zak presented the award to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan yesterday at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). “USTDA is delighted to add Turkey to the distinguished list of high-performing partners who have earned the agency’s Country of the Year award,” said Zak. “This important award reflects the strong economic relationship between Turkey and the United States, and I am very proud that USTDA has been able to contribute to this relationship.”
A statement by the agency explained the importance of this award, noting that “this award is a reflection on the success of the agency’s program in Turkey supporting their development priorities.” It continued: “Turkey has a long history of engaging USTDA in the early project planning stages for many of its infrastructure development needs. This has allowed the agency to play a vital role in advancing these priority projects. As a result of this cooperation, the agency has been able to open the door for US industry to play a significant role in Turkey’s continued economic development, which has resulted in the export of more than $630 million in US-manufactured goods and services,” noting specific examples such as the geothermal power plant in Germincik, which began operations in May, and the US-Turkey Clean Energy Partnership, launched in April.
