About Development Agencies

As development agencies, we aim to mobilize local development dynamics in our country, ensure that regional resources and potentials are used in the best way, make development more balanced and comprehensive across the country, and bring citizens' access to opportunities to the most equal level possible.

For this purpose, we carry out activities to improve local human and institutional capacity, spread the culture of project preparation and implementation, create the investment environment required to improve the global competitiveness of our regions, and ensure that local needs and demands are reflected in investment planning in the most accurate way. In this context, by acting as an interface between central and local stakeholders, we work to implement national policies and objectives at the local level while also aiming to maximize the contribution of regional development to national development through local plan and strategy studies.

As a new and distinctive institutional structure within our country's public administration system, we strive to ensure the highest level of local participation in decision-making and implementation processes while also taking measures to maintain healthy coordination with central institutions and organizations.

As 26 development agencies operating in 26 Level 2 regions across the country, we continuously renew ourselves by developing newer and more innovative processes in order to be solution partners for all stakeholders in reducing economic and social development disparities among our localities and increasing the global competitiveness of our regions.

Ensuring balanced development across the national territory is as important as the high development rate targeted for the economy as a whole. Since natural and social resources are not distributed equally in absolute terms across space, development among regions cannot proceed through an absolutely balanced process. When this imbalance reaches significant dimensions, it triggers migration from less developed regions to more developed regions, causing the loss of human and economic capital in out-migrating regions and creating various economic and social problems as well as infrastructure bottlenecks in receiving regions, ultimately limiting growth for the national economy as a whole.

In this context, public interventions are needed to achieve regional development in a more balanced manner. The aim of balanced regional development is to ensure a balanced distribution of population and income throughout the country and sustainability in resource use through a settlement system that best reflects the distribution of production, service and infrastructure investments. On the other hand, in today's world where production chains are increasingly globalized, improving the ability of regions to compete globally with similar regions constitutes another axis of regional development.

The fact that regional development is related to all economic and social sectors requires that intersectoral interactions be evaluated together in the planning of public investments and interventions and addressed from the perspective of regional development objectives. In addition, strengthening coordination mechanisms between central and local levels in the development and implementation of public policies is another critical factor for success in regional development objectives.

Development of Regional Development Policies in Turkiye from the Early Years of the Republic to the Present

Regional development practices in Turkiye began in the first years following the establishment of the Republic. In a country whose economic structure had suffered severe damage during the war years, the early Republican period focused on public investments in infrastructure and on spreading industrial facilities across different regions of Anatolia. By creating production nuclei throughout the country, a more balanced distribution of the population across the national territory was taken into consideration.

By 1960, in order to accelerate development, Turkiye adopted a planned development approach based on the efficient use of the country's economic, social and cultural resources. The State Planning Organization (DPT) was established as an institution directly responsible for preparing development plans and for regional development. From that date onward, efforts to eliminate regional disparities intensified, and ensuring healthy social and cultural development and welfare distribution along with economic growth throughout the country became a fundamental objective through regional development programs, rural development projects, public sector policies and incentives, and investment incentives for the private sector.

With the regional plans and projects implemented in this scope, it was aimed to ensure social and economic balance through public investments and state supports for enterprises in regions, especially in potential growth centers identified across the country. In this context, regional development projects were implemented in the 1960s in the East Marmara and Cukurova regions and in Antalya and Zonguldak provinces. In order to implement incentives more effectively, three regional groups were defined across the country as developed regions, priority development regions and normal regions, and priority in investment incentives was provided to regions accepted as priority development areas, especially eastern and southeastern provinces.

The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), launched in the 1970s, became one of the most comprehensive and high-budget regional development projects in the history of the Republic. Initially designed to develop land and water resources, the project gained the character of an integrated regional development project including major energy investments such as dams and hydroelectric power plants on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, as well as public investments in agriculture, industry, transportation, education, health, and rural and urban infrastructure.

In this period, the Corum-Cankiri rural development project was initiated to increase agricultural productivity, eliminate infrastructure deficiencies, raise income in rural areas and reduce migration from rural areas to cities. In the following period, rural development projects implemented in Erzurum, Bingol-Mus, Yozgat, Erzincan-Sivas and Ordu-Giresun provinces followed this project.

From the 1980s onward, Turkiye's investment strategy focused on improving social and economic infrastructure and increasing the private sector share in manufacturing industry. While public investments focused on energy, transportation-communication, agricultural infrastructure and rural infrastructure, priority development areas were kept outside this general investment policy in order to reduce regional development disparities. In this scope, in addition to economic and social infrastructure investments, priority was also given to manufacturing industry investments that could create employment in underdeveloped regions and to projects improving human resources.

By the 1990s, a transition began toward a programming process mainly compatible with EU regional policies through the Zonguldak-Bartin-Karabuk, Eastern Anatolia, Eastern Black Sea and Yesilirmak Basin projects. In addition, especially from the 1990s onward, special importance was attached to increasing investments in the health and education sectors in order to improve basic health conditions in all regions and increase the number of well-educated and well-equipped people within the rapidly growing population.

Regional Development Policies and Governance Framework in Turkiye Today

With the start of membership negotiations with the European Union, Turkiye began to develop a new regional development approach integrated with EU regional policies. In this scope, the Accession Partnership Document (2003), which sets out the road map for EU membership, included the EU's request to strengthen administrative structures that would carry out regional development in Turkiye. Accordingly, the Turkish National Program for the Adoption of the European Union Acquis envisaged the establishment of implementing units at regional level.

With the entry into force in 2006 of Law No. 5449 on the Establishment, Coordination and Duties of Development Agencies, the establishment process of development agencies, which constitute the main element of the new regional approach, began. In the first phase, Izmir and Cukurova Development Agencies were established in 2006; subsequently, 8 agencies were established in 2008 and 16 agencies in 2009, bringing the total to 26 development agencies in all NUTS Level 2 regions.

Under Law No. 5449, agencies were established as legal entities subject to private law provisions in all transactions not regulated by the relevant law. The State Planning Organization, now abolished, was made responsible for their national coordination under the relevant law. With Decree Law No. 641 dated 3/6/2011, the State Planning Organization was abolished and its duties were assigned to the newly established Ministry of Development.

In 2018, with the transition to the Presidential Government System, the duty of reducing regional development disparities in Turkiye was assigned to the Ministry of Industry and Technology within the scope of Presidential Decrees No. 1 and No. 4. Within this duty, the Ministry of Industry and Technology was also made responsible for the national coordination of development agencies. The Ministry continues to carry out the duties of formulating policies for eliminating regional development disparities, designing regional programs and projects, and coordinating development agencies under the relevant Decree.

The National Strategy for Regional Development (BGUS) is prepared in order to establish and strengthen the spatial building blocks of national development policies, increase harmony between spatial development and socioeconomic development policies, provide a holistic perspective to regional development studies and increase their effectiveness, and create a general policy framework for lower-scale regional and provincial plans and strategies.

In the light of the experience gained from the first BGUS prepared in Turkiye for the 2014-2023 period, the 2024-2028 BGUS was prepared by the Directorate General of Development Agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology. The Ministry coordinated the preparation of the 2024-2028 regional plans by development agencies for 26 Level 2 Regions in line with the strategic framework determined in the BGUS. The 2024-2028 National Strategy for Regional Development and the Regional Plans for 26 Level 2 Regions were approved and entered into force by Presidential Decision No. 9253 dated 16.12.2024.

The vision of the 2024-2028 National Strategy for Regional Development is defined as 'a Turkiye that has developed comprehensively by using its local dynamics, with regions that have a say in global competition, have a high level of welfare and are resilient.' Within the scope of this vision, strategic objectives have been developed to strengthen the global economic integration of regions, increase the competitiveness of regions, ensure economic and social convergence among regions, and ensure post-disaster economic and social recovery.

Within the scope of the 2024-2028 National Strategy for Regional Development, a spatial approach has been developed based on the need to design regional development strategies differentiated by territory in order to implement the vision and strategic objectives. In this spatial approach, regional development strategies are addressed within a typology formed by taking into account the four main development dimensions and strategic objectives defined in the vision.

Under each strategic objective, provinces are classified in four dimensions and nine categories according to a spatial typology developed by using more than thirty indicators prominent in regional development, including production structure, income level, exports, employment and population, as well as studies such as the Urban and Rural Settlement Systems Research in Turkiye (YER-SIS) and the Socioeconomic Development Ranking Research (SEGE). Spatial objectives and strategies are developed under these development dimensions.

In addition to the spatial objectives and strategies set out to strengthen regional development for the 2024-2028 period, thematic objectives and strategies have also been determined due to the multi-sectoral structure of regional development. In this context, thematic objectives and strategies have been developed in the fields of urban development, rural development, social development, tourism, industry-logistics, green growth, entrepreneurship, R&D and innovation, and digitalization by taking national and international developments into account.

Regional plans prepared for 26 Level 2 Regions in line with the National Strategy for Regional Development establish the relationship between national policies, plans and strategies and activities to be carried out at regional and local levels. They determine concrete objectives and measures in line with regional needs and potentials and in cooperation with local stakeholders, and also develop sample projects as implementation tools.

With the transition to the Presidential Government System in Turkiye, the duty of reducing regional development disparities was assigned to the Ministry of Industry and Technology within the scope of Presidential Decrees No. 1 and No. 4. Within this duty, the Ministry of Industry and Technology was also made responsible for the national coordination of development agencies.

The purpose of establishing development agencies is defined in Presidential Decree No. 4 as improving cooperation among the public sector, private sector and civil society organizations, ensuring the local and effective use of resources, mobilizing local potential, accelerating regional development in line with the policies determined by the President, ensuring the sustainability of development, and reducing interregional and intraregional development disparities.

In line with this purpose, the main duties of development agencies can be summarized as follows:

• Preparing strategies related to regional development
• Carrying out and supporting studies to identify the resources and opportunities of regions, accelerate economic and social development and increase competitiveness
• Supporting cooperation and coordination among public institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations for the achievement of regional development objectives
• Researching and promoting business and investment opportunities in regions and attracting resources to the region
• Supporting local and rural development activities
• Supporting entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship ecosystem
• Contributing to the development of the technical capacity of local administrations and organizations in the region
• Ensuring the single-window follow-up and coordination of permit and license procedures for investors coming to the region
• Carrying out facilitation and coordination activities for the use of international funds by stakeholders in the region

Institutional Structure of Development Agencies

Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 4, agencies are legal entities and, in all transactions not regulated by the Decree, are subject to private law provisions. The organizational structure of development agencies consists of four main components: the development board, board of directors, secretariat general and investment support offices.

The development board is the advisory body of the agency. It is composed of representatives of public institutions and organizations, the private sector and civil society organizations in the region, based on balanced representation of the provinces. Development boards convene at least twice a year to provide recommendations to the board of directors on solution proposals for regional problems, the region's potential, priorities and promotion.

The board of directors, which is the decision-making body of the agency, consists in single-province regions of the governor, metropolitan mayor, chairperson of the provincial general assembly, presidents of provincial chambers of industry and commerce, and three representatives selected from the private sector and/or civil society organizations. In regions consisting of more than one province, it consists of provincial governors, metropolitan mayors or, in non-metropolitan provinces, central district mayors, chairpersons of provincial general assemblies and presidents of chambers of commerce and industry, one from each province.

The secretariat general is the executive body of the agency and is responsible for preparing the agency's annual work program and budget and implementing the decisions taken by the board of directors.

Investment support offices operating under the secretariat general are units that promote the business and investment environment of their provinces to domestic and foreign investors, follow up the permit and license procedures of investors within the duties and authorities of public institutions and organizations in a single-window manner, and monitor investments.

The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), known in Turkish as Istatistiki Bolge Birimleri Siniflandirmasi (IBBS), is a statistical classification method developed by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) beginning in the 1970s to ensure that regional statistics in the European Union are produced according to a single spatial classification, and it has been included in EU legislation since 1988.

In Turkiye, the use of NUTS began within the scope of the National Program for the Adoption of the EU Acquis, adopted by the Council of Ministers Decision dated 19 March 2001, and the Accession Partnership Document adopted by the Environment Council on 8 March 2001 and prepared by the European Commission. In this framework, the State Planning Organization (DPT) and the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) started the work in 2001, defined Statistical Regional Units in Turkiye, and this classification entered into force with the Council of Ministers Decision dated 28 August 2002.

With this decision, NUTS began to be used as the implementation basis for regional statistics and regional development policies, especially development agencies, at national and regional levels and within the EU harmonization process. In the classification, provinces were accepted as Level 3 units; by grouping neighboring provinces, 26 Level 2 Regions and 12 Level 1 Regions were formed.

Because Level 2 regions are an appropriate regional scale for national and regional analyses, form a basis for studies carried out during the EU candidacy process, and determine the regions that can benefit from structural funds within the convergence objective of EU cohesion policy, the Level 2 regions listed below have been determined as the main development planning units in the context of regional policies in Turkiye.