Leonardo International Award to Mustafa Koc

The decision to give the award to Mustafa V. Koç, made in coordination with Italian ambassador to Turkey Giancarlo Scarante, was announced today in Istanbul during the Italian businessmen mission to Turkey by the president of the Leonardo Committee, Luisa Todini. The prize will officially be handed over by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano during the yearly ceremony at the President's office in January. ''The choice for a Turkish entrepreneur is a sign of the strengthening commercial and economic ties between the two countries. Turkey is a privileged market for Italian export products,'' said Luisa Todini.

"The successful partnership between Italy and Turkey must now take another step forward,'' added Riccardo Monti, president of the agency for the promotion of Italian companies abroad (ICE), present at the business mission in Turkey. In the past 10 years trade between Italy and Turkey more than doubled, to more than 15 billion euros in 2011. Italian experts to Turkey increased by 20%. In the same year Italy became Turkey's fourth-largest trade partner and one of the country's most important business partners with more than 900 Italian companies active in Turkey, large groups but also SMEs.

Mustafa Koç, who since 2003 heads the family holding that has become Turkey's most important industrial and financial group, has strengthened the role of the Koç group as partner for the largest Italian investments made in Turkey, the three equal joint ventures Tofas (with Fiat), Yapikredi (with Unicredit) and TürkTraktor (with Cnh). As chairman of the boards of administration of the first two and shareholder of the third, the entrepreneur was able to consolidate his leading position on these markets and work out a successful business management model founded on a perfect equality of shareholders.

The Leonardo Committee (www.comitatoleonardo.it) was formed in 1993, an initiative of businessman Sergio Pininfarina and the president at the time of Confindustria, Gianni Agnelli, of ICE and a group of entrepreneurs who wanted to promote Italian high-quality products worldwide. Today the committee counts 150 entrepreneurs, artists, scientists and people from the world of culture, who cooperate with institutions that promote Italian companies abroad.(ANSAmed).