Evaluation of Regional Development Policies in Turkey¡¯s Five Years Development Plans

Five years development plans are prepared by State Planning Organization (former name), Ministry of Development. Development Plans are significant policy documents including information about resources of development goals in long term and related regulations to be made in Turkey. Ten different development plans including the years between 1963 and 2018 were prepared. The common basic goal of these plans is: Ensuring a fortunate and prosperous life for Turkish citizens, raising life standards to higher levels. Reaching more prosperous life standards is possible through a long term and systematic development effort. Regions including cities (except metropolis), districts and villages are called rural areas. Efforts for increasing the economic level of people living in rural areas by using and supporting natural resources in these areas are named regional development policies. Regional development policies are firstly determined and shaped in development plans. Economic activities in rural areas are mostly based on natural production resources. Regional development is only possible through efficient use of these local resources. The basic goal is to decrease the difference in the level of economic, social and cultural development between development priority regions and the others. The goal of this study is to present the preparations that should be made and focus on present and future problems. Qualitative design document analysis technique is used in this research; local development policies that are mentioned in ten development plans are analyzed. Findings, results and suggestions are presented at the end of the study.