2024-12-29T16:32:25+00:00
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, the Turkish government announced a $14 billion regional development plan aimed at reducing the economic disparity between the predominantly Kurdish southeast and the rest of the country.
The announcement comes amid rising hopes for ending the decades-long insurgency of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in southeast Turkiye and the recent change in leadership in neighboring Syria, which maintains friendly relations with Ankara.
For a long time, the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkiye have lagged behind the rest of the country in most economic indicators, including per capita GDP, partly due to the insurgency.
Turkish Minister of Industry, Fatih Kacir, stated that “the government will spend a total of 496.2 billion lira ($14.15 billion) on 198 projects across the region by 2028.”
“With the implementation of these projects, we expect an increase of 49,000₺ ($1,400) in annual per capita income in the region.”
According to 2023 data, the per capita income in Sanlıurfa is $4,971, significantly lower than the national average of $13,243.
