ISTANBUL (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accepted an award at the World Petroleum Congress, hosted by Turkey this year.

Council President Jozsef Toth described Tillerson, who is from Texas, as "a man born with oil in his veins" before presenting him with the Dewhurst Award, named after the founder of the congress.

The former ExxonMobile chief expressed his gratitude and said he misses "colleagues, partners and competitors" in the oil industry.

Tillerson arrived in Istanbul on Sunday after a visit to the Ukraine reaffirming American support. The secretary of state met with Turkey's foreign minister and is scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later Sunday.

He says the U.S. and strategically located Turkey would collaborate for "greater energy security."