President's Message
Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) is a regional development project, which, by evaluating resources of the South Eastern Anatolia Region, aims to raise the income level and life quality of the people, living in this region, dispel the interregional differences and contribute to the economic development and social stability targets at the national level and branding of our country at the international level.
Southeastern Anatolia Project, which is one of the largest projects of Turkey and few of the World, anticipates the irrigation of an area of 1.8 million ha., increasing product diversity in the agriculture, production of 27 billion kw/hour electricity per year, increasing per capita income in a rate of 209% and providing job opportunities for a total of 3,8 million people.
Based on the sustainable development philosophy, this project joined the social structure with the consciousness, efficiency, just development and participation concepts. Now GAP is known not only with its engineering miracle of huge works in the World, but with its global development approach, which it developed and implemented, it has reached a position, which is being taken as an example.
Within the frame of the Southeastern Anatolia Project, in the 60th Government period, it is targeted to meet the basic infrastructure needs, irrigation to be the first and acceleration of the economic development and social progress in the region.
As it is also stated in the Ninth Development Plan, the works of Southeastern Anatolia Project continue. GAP is not being handled as an infrastructure project, which consists of only energy and irrigation infrastructures anymore, but as an integrated regional development program, which initiates local initiatives by benefiting the common cooperation platforms of development agencies, which will newly be established. Within this context, by implementation of new policies, which facilitate such economic development and social progress as application of modern irrigation techniques, completion of transportation and housing infrastructure, transition to competitive product types, enrichment of marketing opportunities, development of human resources and institutional capacities and evaluation of natural and cultural structure, the competition agenda of the region will be supported.
Our Government started a great leap forward, which is very important for the welfare and stability of Turkey: GAP Action Plan. With programs to be implemented in through plan period, the rate of participation in the labor force will be approximated to the average of the country by increasing the quality of labor force in the region on one hand and by increasing the total employment in the region as a result of the increasing of the private and public investments and stimulating economic life on the other hand, the employment level throughout the region will be approximated to the average of the country.
The approach of having the necessary reflexes will be won in order to have the region reach a stabilized economic and social structure and strengthen the economy of the region by forming necessary mechanisms, forms the basis of the local initiative-focused policies and strategies, which will be implemented in the region.
Within the frame of this approach, basic policies to be implemented in the region are to emphasize on increasing attraction of the region by also using suitable encouragement tools within the frame of enabling business environment in order to sustain economic growth and providing welfare to produce new job opportunities, intensifying economic relations of the region with border countries, by raising production efficiency and competitive powers of enterprises by making labor force markets much more flexible on one hand and providing employment increase coherent with region’s economy by increasing quality of labor force with the active employment policies on the other hand, providing efficiency of service representation by developing institutional capacity in the region.
As a result of accomplishment of activities and projects in the GAP Action Plan, it is targeted to;
- Complete the construction of irrigation main channel with 649 km.
- Open an area of 1 million 60 thousand ha. for irrigated agriculture,
- Complete state and provincial roads with 2.209 km. and many highway bridges up to 2,8 km,
- Reach target of schooling rate by 50% in pre-school education, 100% in primary education and 90% in secondary education,
- Create an additional capacity in the health sector with 3.580 beds,
- By extension of qualified labor force raising programs, provide training for gaining of professional skills of 35.000 persons,
- Reach 6.200 persons through training and consultancy services directed to those, desirable to establish their own business.
The Agency, responsible for coordination of implementation of the GAP Action Plan appears to be the GAP Regional Development Administration. GAP Administration will create a continuous implementation-monitoring-assessment system within the frame of work plans to be prepared by the authorities for their actions.
Mission of the GAP Administration, envisaged for implementing the Southeastern Anatolia Project in unison, is to provide coordination between agencies and organizations. Targets and approaches of GAP are directed to realization of concrete changes in course of each passing day through implementations of GAP Administration. The Administration continues its efforts to make our people in this region productive, happy and hopeful for the future of their children in their own geography.
The GAP Administration, by combining sincere efforts and contributions of the Mayor’s Office, local administrations, investors, non-governmental organizations, international agencies and as a matter of fact, our people in the human-centered projects, leads rapid development of the Region and accordingly of our country.
I have great honor to participate as the President of the GAP Administration in the Southeastern Region Anatolia Project in course of implementation of the GAP Action Plan. It will be our motto to reach major targets by taking into account the main panorama without being hindered by small claims and challenges. Our largest target is to serve our people with justice.
As President of the GAP Administration I thank to all, who made their efforts to realize and develop this fruitful project, which was described as a "dream" in the past.
I wish GAP Action Plan be useful and good for our country and region.
With love and respect...
Sadrettin KARAHOCAGİL
President of the GAP Administration
