DEPARTMENT OF CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING

TERM PAPER: CRP 433 Economics of

Development and the Economy of Turkey

PLANNING EXPERIENCE IN TURKEY

BETWEEN 2000-2009

AKIN AKÇAY

GÖKSEL ÜSTÜNDAĞ

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Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 4
2. PLANNING EXPERIENCE IN TURKEY BETWEEN 2000-2009 .............................................................. 5
2.1 PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND EUROPEAN UNION COMPLIANCE POLICIES ....... 5
2.2 Urban Development and Urban Transformation Policies Between 2000-2009 ........................... 9
3. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 11
References ............................................................................................................................................. 12

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Table 1. Distribution of development plans in Turkey ............................................................................ 5
Table 2. The number of municipalities in the 1933-2013 period ............................................................ 6
Table 3. Legal Regulations of Urban Transformation Between 2000 and 2004...................................... 9
Table 4. Legal Regulations of Urban Transformation Between 2005-2006 .......................................... 10

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 1. INTRODUCTION

The rapidly developing urbanization process is one of the most important problems of our
country. Starting from the 1950s, a rapid urbanization process was experienced. In the 1980s,
with the neoliberal policies, the construction sector in the country started to increase its
importance. The construction sector has emerged with urban transformation practices.
Especially in big cities, it is focused on the slums. These regions, which were previously
located outside the city, started to be valued with the growth of the cities. Slowly evolving
urban transformation projects have accelerated towards 2000. This study examines the subject
of planning experience in Turkey between 2000-2009. In this time period, the institutional
changes in the planning profession, the laws issued and the reports prepared will be evaluated.
Considering the previous period which causes changes in planning approach, a short
evaluation will be done by making a short assessment on how it affects the following period.

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 2. PLANNING EXPERIENCE IN TURKEY BETWEEN 2000-
2009

By the end of 1980s, almost 100% of the zoning plans produced in the country were made by
their own personnel entrusted to the Bank of Provinces, or they were built by the tenderers by
way of tenders or by (limited number of) competitions. In 2000, this rate is approximately
90%.

Table 1. Distribution of development plans in Turkey

2.1 PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND EUROPEAN UNION

COMPLIANCE POLICIES

The reason for this decrease is seen as the beginning of a series of changes in the post-1980,
in the world and in our country. The globalization policies surrounding the world have also
been reflected in our country, the laws that will affect the functioning of the institutions, the
planning process and the zoning legislation were put into effect by the government established
after the 80 military coup. Especially for the last twenty years, Iller Bank has tried to narrow
public service areas within the framework of World Bank imposed structural adjustment
programs. The implementation of the grant has been abolished in the construction of the plan
and as a result, there have been serious decreases in the zoning plan amounts.

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Table 2. The number of municipalities in the 1933-2013 period

As can be seen from Table 2, the number of zoning plan jobs that have been increasing until
the 2000s has gradually decreased dramatically. With the increasing influence of the
neoliberal policies, planning has started to lose its importance with the decreasing role of the
state. The institutions working with the understanding of public interest were increasingly
asked to turn away from being a public institution and become a private company. One of the
most important public institutions converted to private companies is undoubtedly Provinces
Bank. Another important institution undergoing change is the State Planning Organization.
The nature of the transformation in the SPO can be followed in the post-1980 economic
agenda. After 1980, the SPO does not dictate the market from above, offers services within
the market relations and will not be accused of having the power and position to stand against
politics. In the same period, the period of privatization was entered with a radical turn in the
organization of the state administration. In the 1980s, preparations were made for the transfer
of public enterprises to the private sector and the process was close to the end in the 2000s
(Yılmaz, 2012). In 2011, the SPO was closed down and converted into the Ministry of
Development. Parallel to these important institutional changes, structural changes are also
evident. In the 1990s, search for the planning function that will rise above the new period
called as the accumulation regime has been entered. In the same period, the search for
planning is witnessed again. As of the end of the 1990s, strategic planning orientation
emerged, and in the 2000s, strategic planning was institutionalized (Yılmaz, 2012). This
search and institutionalization will be embodied as Development Agencies in the following
years (Güler, 2005). Among the reasons of establishment of agencies include to improve the
cooperation between the public sector, private sector and non-governmental organizations, to
ensure the effective use of resources and to ensure the sustainability of regional development

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in accordance with the national development plans and policies and policies prescribed in the
programs and to reduce inter-regional and intra-regional development differences. Relations
between the transnational-national-region in terms of finance and management are established
under the EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. In this context, 10.1 billion euros in
2007-2013 is devoted to Turkey (Yılmaz, 2012). The source is granted as a grant in return for
the project. It is therefore necessary to produce as many projects as possible. These projects
include transitional support and institutional structuring, cross-border cooperation, regional
development, human resource development and rural development. While support was
provided for institutional structuring projects between 2007 and 2009, regional development
projects were focused on after 2009 (Yılmaz, 2012). In line with the 2004-2006 Preliminary
National Development Plan, regional development programs have been initiated in 11 regions
with the EU grants, with a significant part of the budget, to provide pre-accession financial
assistance (Soyak, 2005). The Pre-National Development Plan was prepared between 2004
and 2006 in order to ensure the country's compliance with European Union policies. The aim
is to create a strategic framework for the programming of financial assistance. Preliminary
National Development Plan (2004-2006), after 1980 the radical change of management of the
economy and economic policy, developed as a result of the obligations entered Turkey
through international loans under the agreements and commitments (Ekiz & Somel, 2007).
This development plan has been formulated based on the policy texts such as the 2003
Progress Report and the Accession Partnership Document (2003). It was envisaged that
various public institutions and NGOs would be involved in the preparation of the plan.
According to the State Planning Organization (2003), other plans taken into account when
preparing the development plan are as follows;

- Long Term Strategy (2001-2023)

- 8th Five-Year Development Plan (BYKP) (2001-2005)

- Reports of Special Commission (ÖİK)

- 2003 Pre-Accession Economic Program

- SME Strategy and Action Plan

- Turkey Industrial Policy Document

- National Program

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According to Ekiz and Somel (2007); in this context, the 8th PIFC introduces a olarak
medium-term un strategy, and as a subset of it, the pNDP is being developed in the EU
perspective. Turkey's development strategy, with the basic five-year development plan and
the Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission through composing, the NDP is now
replaced with this basic strategy. The aim of this plan, which is designed as a development
strategy, has been determined as stable growth, sustaining structural reforms, privatization,
transparent and effective public administration, banking reform, increasing the effectiveness
of the regulatory boards to strengthen the market and increasing the role of the private sector.
The purpose of this development plan is to manage limited resources from the European
Union. With these resources, it is aimed to adapt the European Union in terms of economic,
social and spatial dimensions. The structure to be reached for this purpose is described in
accordance with the following policies;

 increasing agricultural productivity

 encouragement of entrepreneurship
 development of competitiveness, human resources and employment creation capacity
 improvement of infrastructure services
 creation of knowledge-based economy
 increasing environmental awareness
 reducing interregional development differences (SPO, 2003).

SPO is responsible for central and local coordination, monitoring and reporting of projects
and programs related to regional development financed from national budget and EU funds.

Thus, the change of the growth model after 1980 and the deviation from planning have
accelerated in the 1990s and moved to the 2000s (Ekiz & Somel, 2007).

As it can be understood from the above, the 2000s were the years when planning was more
remembered with economic development. It is seen as the period when the public institutions'
service areas are narrowed and they are merged in order to adapt to the market conditions. It
is seen that the country has developed policies in order to move away from its internal
dynamics and to join the global order. In the next section, how this understanding shapes the
cities will be examined.

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2.2 Urban Development and Urban Transformation Policies Between 2000-2009

The effect of neoliberal policies, which started to be effective in 1980, on cities was generally
transformation projects. With the influence of these policies, cities are seen as a means of
capital accumulation. Examples of this chapter in Turkey between the years 2000-2009 in
transformation projects and legislation will be examined. Unlike other countries, especially
after the 1999 Marmara earthquake in Turkey has focused on the construction areas
considered to bear the risk of earthquakes. In this respect, transformation projects were
implemented. In the period after 2000, housing, tourism and trade-oriented transformation
practices came to the fore. Urban transformation activities, where new laws emerge as a result
of special purpose applications and globalization, are at the forefront. Parallel to this, the
planning agenda in the country has also focused on urban transformation starting from 2000s.
The new laws, which came into force after 2004, led to a change in the country's discourse on
urban transformation (Seydioğulları, 2016). The legal regulations regarding the urban
regeneration projects accelerating after 2000 are as follows;

Table 3. Legal Regulations of Urban Transformation Between 2000 and 2004

Source: Planlama Dergisi

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Table 4. Legal Regulations of Urban Transformation Between 2005-2006

Source: Planlama Dergisi

In the Metropolitan Municipality Law No. 5216 which was issued in 2004, Metropolitan
Municipalities were also authorized to implement urban transformation and development
projects. The first example of the legal regulations in this period is the Northern Ankara
Entrance Urban Transformation Project Law No. 5104 issued in 2004. The purpose of this
law was defined as the development of physical condition and environment within the
framework of the urban transformation project in the North Ankara entrance and its environs,
and raising the level of urban life with a healthier settlement (Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi, 2004).
When the main objectives of urban transformation projects are taken into consideration, it is
revealed that the project foresees only a physical transformation. In addition to this
deficiency, a transformation law for a specific area of a city has been paved the way for
fragmentary approaches that include negativities in terms of planning and development of the
city (Seydioğulları, 2016). The change in the urban space accompanied by the laws given in
the above table changed the dimension together with the 2000s, and the concept of
development rent was combined with the fear of earthquake and the reason for the new
regulations was formed (Kocaer & Bal, 2013). Kocaer and Bal (2013) interpreted it has been
observed that those who seek to seize rent in the city have started to use the concept of urban
transformation in order to liquidate existing users. In these years, the solution to the slum
problem has been started with the urban transformation approach (Daşkıran & Ak, 2015).

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Following the Marmara and Duzce Earthquakes, urban transformation has emerged as one of
the risk reduction tools against disasters. In 2004, the Ministry of Public Works and
Settlement defined urban transformation action plans in the Earthquake Council's Legislation
Commission Report. In 2004 Turkey Economic Congress Disaster Commission Report, it is
recommended that the discharge, renewal and strengthening tools of the local administrations
should be developed within the scope of the conservation plans (Genç, 2014). The situation
that occurred in this period was supported by the Law no. 6306 on Transformation of Areas
Under Disaster Risk after 2010. With this law, urban transformation projects continued to
accelerate and existed with the examples that are being used outside of its purpose. However,
since this period does not fall within the scope of this study, examples and comments on the
law will be discussed in the next section.

3. CONCLUSION
As a result, the 2000s was a period in which the transformation started in the 1980s but the
transition to a new and different stage has begun as a strategic planning. During this period,
the planning concept which detailed all areas in the development plans prepared at the
national level was abandoned. Instead, a new concept of planning was highlighted to bring the
forefront the legal and institutional arrangements to implement the new right policies. In this
way, in parallel with the preparation of development plans in accordance with the strategic
planning ideas, the planning organization also has important changes. Furthermore, new
regulations were being made at both the central and institutional levels. The most important
change at the central level was the preparation of a draft plan for the transformation of the
name and duties of the planning organization within the framework of the strategic planning
approach. This draft puts a stateless and superior unauthorized structure in the position of
identifying strategies in cooperation with international organizations, eliminating the
traditional planning authorities and duties of the SPO and the planning unit. Another area of
change where the organization of planning was outside the central level is the establishment
of the planning thought based on the organization. Accordingly, each public institution or
organization should plan its own future in order to increase its policy-making capacity and
fulfill all its business and operations in accordance with these plans.

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References
Daşkıran, F., & Ak, D. (2015, Eylül). 6306 SAYILI KANUN KAPSAMINDA KENTSEL DÖNÜŞÜM. Yönetim
ve Ekonomi Araştırmaları Dergisi, 13(3), 264-288.

Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (2003). Ön Ulusal Kalkınma Planı. Ankara: DPT.

Ekiz, C., & Somel, A. (2007). Türkiye'de Planlama ve Planlama Anlayışının Değişimi. Mülkiye Dergisi,
31(256).

Genç, F. N. (2014). Gecekonduyla Mücadeleden Kentsel Dönüşüme Türkiye’de Kentleşme Politikaları.

Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 1(1), 15-30.

Güler, B. A. (2005). Devlette Reform Yazıları. Paragraf.

İller Bankası. (1976). Dörtyol, Payas, Yeşil, Erzin, Kuzuculu Genel Yerleşim Projesi Araştırma ve
Planlama Raporu.

Kocaer, Ö. Ş., & Bal, Ö. H. (2013). KENTSEL DÖNÜŞÜM GERÇEĞİ VE İZMİR UYGULAMALARI ÜZERİNE
BİR DEĞERLENDİRME . TMMOB 2. İzmir Kent Sempozyumu (s. 445-452). Ankara: TMMOB.

Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi. (2004, Mart 12). Mayıs 24, 2019 tarihinde e-Mevzuat:
http://www.mevzuat.gov.tr adresinden alındı

Seydioğulları, H. S. (2016). Yeni Yasal Düzenlemelerle Kentsel Dönüşüm. Planlama Dergisi, 26(1), 51-
64.

Soyak, A. (2005, Ekim). Ertelenen 9. Kalkınma Planı ve Türkiye’de Planlamanın Geleceği Üzerine Bir
Not. Bilim ve Ütopya, 45-47.

Yılmaz, A. (2012). TÜRKİYE’DE PLANLAMA POLİTİKASI VE YÖNETİMİ-Planlamanın Siyasal İktisadı ve

Yönetsel Kuruluşu. Ankara, Türkiye: T.C. ANKARA ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ
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