ACTIVITIES OF DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF EASTERN ANATOLIA AND KARACADAĞ DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES

Abstract

The term development, which is related to the possibilities of countries, is a multi-dimensional, planned, and long-term process. Regional development agencies are effective in development as they have a direct impact on the development of the regions where they operate. Besides, they are used as effective tools in reducing the development disparities between regions. These agencies have unique dynamics and opportunities in each country; therefore, their results differ from country to country. While effective results were obtained from regional development agencies operating in developed countries, the same success was not achieved in developing countries. However, the success of regional development agencies in developing countries has increased in recent years.
The first development activities in Turkey were mostly with a central point of view and carried out in ways that did not coincide with the regional realities. Therefore, it was difficult to control the investments made. The activities carried out with this point of view both caused the waste of the country's resources and resulted in the failure to realize the development move at the desired level. In recent years, regional development agencies, consisting of a few provinces, where attention is paid to regional possibilities and opportunities with certain criteria, have become widespread throughout the country.
Regional development agencies operate in regions with certain characteristics. They do not only carry out activities for rural development in the settlements where they operate. In addition, they try to act with the understanding of sustainable development by working in many different fields of activity.
Eastern Anatolia Development Agency (DAKA) consists of TRB2 provinces (Van, Hakkâri, Bitlis and Muş), and Karacadağ Development Agency includes TRC2 provinces (Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa). These agencies aim to develop cooperation between the public, private sector, and non-governmental organizations in these provinces, to use the regional resources effectively and to activate the local potential. To achieve this goal, they act by reducing the development differences between regions in accordance with the principles of the national development plan and program. Thanks to the European Union process, studies on rural development activities have increased and development agencies have institutionalized and published their activities. Since the development agencies have influence in different business lines and their activities are not limited to rural settlements, their impact in rural development remains limited.