Chuck Grassley: “Today, Senators Breaux, McCain, and I introduce the Turkish-Israeli Economic Enhancement Act of 2002. This legislation…”

“Today, Senators Breaux, McCain, and I introduce the Turkish-Israeli Economic Enhancement Act of 2002. This legislation will allow qualified products from Turkey to be eligible for duty-free entry into the United States under the Qualified Industrial Zone program. Congress first established the Qualified Industrial Zone program in 1996 to facilitate economic cooperation between Israel, Egypt and Jordan. The impetus behind this program was to help create the economic basis for sustained peace in the region. While peace still eludes us today, there is little doubt that the program has helped to foster greater economic cooperation in the region. Allowing Turkey to participate in the program will foster even greater economic growth and stability in the region. The Israeli-Turkish Economic Enhancement Act would amend Section 9(e)(1) of the United States Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985, as amended, the 'FTA Act, by expanding the definition of 'qualifying industrial zones' to include portions of the territory of Israel and Turkey.”