The implementation of regional development agencies in Turkey case study: Çukurova Development Agency

Turkey has brought a new dimension to its policies aimed at regional development and removing the interregional differences in terms of development which it initiated as of the planned term. The reason for this is the requirement of meeting the regional development policies in the European Union (EU) membership process. Therefore, Turkey has entered in a new structuring process by founding the units called Regional Development Agencies (RDA) instead of the policies and tools it implemented within the scope of regional development for years.RDAs are the structures based on legal provisions which provide cooperation between private and public organisations, local authorities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) within a specific geographical region of a country, remove the interregional differences in terms of development, and make economic progress.Globalization is of a great importance today, and necessitates original processes and tools in many respects due to the structural adjustment policies it brings about. In this process, as a result of the EU?s requirement for handling the regional planning in an innovative sense and with new tools; RDAs have clearly been set forth, and gained a great importance in the EU full membership process. Concepts of private sector and regional competition have come to the forefront in this new approach that the EU requires all the candidate countries to adopt. Within scope of the adjustments required to be made in medium term according to the Accession Partnership Document prepared by the EU commission, a legal regulations process has been entered in order to constitute the RDAs. In this direction, Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) system has been accepted by the Cabinet decision no.4720 dated 22.09.2002 first, and then in the Accession Partnership Document of 2003 constitution of the RDAs has been stipulated in order to utilise the Pre-Accession Financial Support Program. Following this process; 5449 numbered ?Law on Establishment, Coordination, and Duties of Development Agencies? has been sent to the General Assembly of Grand National Assembly Of Turkey and accepted on 25.01.2006; and has taken effect after being published in the Official Gazette no.26074 dated 08.02.2006.As stated in the Article-1 of the Law no.5449; the RDAs have been established to ?facilitate regional development; maintain sustainability; and reduce the interregional and intraregional development differences in compliance with the policies set forth in the national development plans and programmes by developing the cooperation between public and private sectors, and non-governmental organisations; providing efficient and correct use of sources; and stimulating the local potential?.By the ?Cabinet Decision on Establishment of Development Agencies in Some Level-2 Regions? published in the Official Gazette no.26220 dated 06.07.2006; Çukurova Development Agency (CDA) including Adana and Mersin cities, and Izmir Development Agency (IZDA) including Izmir city and its neighbours have been selected and established as pilot areas; and these agencies have led the way for 24 new agencies established after them, in organisational and application areas thanks to their experiences such as completion of their structuring and participation in calls for proposal.It has been considered that, after removing their problems in structuring and operation, the productivity of the RDAs will be increased, economic and social indicators, particularly employment and income, will be enhanced both in national and regional-local levels, interregional and intraregional development differences will be reduces, so positive contributions will be made to enhance the country?s general welfare, and reinforce its stabilisation.