REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIFFERENCES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES IN THE TÜRKİYE - EU NEGOTIATION PROCESS

Abstract

Turkey has sometimes achieved success and sometimes unsuccessful results in its development moves with the “İzmir Economic Congress” in 1923, “five-year development plans” in 1960-2013 and today's “Regional Development Agencies” (RDAs) created under the leadership of the EU. Despite the fact that all these development policies were realized in line with Turkey's will, today's RDAs are tried to be kept independent and distant from the central administration and envisage EU and local government cooperation. However, the EU has made an effort to weaken the power of central administrations by producing local policies all over the world, not limited to member countries. While the EU and other global organizations are trying to ensure a global structuring by producing policies that transcend the borders of countries all over the world, the efforts to keep the regions away from the central administration in Turkey brings to mind concerns about whether Turkey is being directed towards a political autonomy. Therefore, Turkey should determine its own economic and development policies with its own will through a joint “Center-Region-EU” coordination in RDA projects. Turkey's existing qualified labor force is capable of doing this, and Turkey has the power and energy to do so. In this context, the basic activities of development agencies are: To provide technical support to the planning activities of local governments, To support activities and projects that will ensure the implementation of regional plans and programs; Within this scope, to monitor and evaluate the implementation process of supported activities and projects and to report their results to the Ministry of Industry and Technology, To contribute to the development of the region’s capacity related to rural and local development in accordance with the regional plans and programs and to provide support to projects within this scope, To monitor other projects carried out by the public sector, private sector and civil society organizations in the region and deemed important in terms of regional plans and programs, To develop cooperation between the public sector, private sector and civil society organizations in order to realize regional development targets, To use or have used the internal and external funds allocated to the Agency for regional development in accordance with the regional plans and programs, To conduct or have conducted research aimed at determining the resources and opportunities of the region, accelerating economic and social development and increasing competitive power, to support research conducted by other persons, institutions and organizations, To promote or have conducted the business and investment opportunities of the region at national and international levels in cooperation with the relevant organizations, To follow up the permission and license transactions and other administrative works and transactions falling within the scope of the duties and authorities of investors, public institutions and organizations in the provinces of the region from a single center in order to finalize them within the period specified in the relevant legislation. and coordinating, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and new entrepreneurs by cooperating with relevant institutions on issues such as management, production, promotion, marketing, technology, financing, organization and workforce training, promoting activities related to bilateral or multilateral international programs in which Turkey participates in the region and contributing to project development within the scope of these programs are carried out within the framework of their duties.