Türkiye plans to accelerate the development of its eastern Black Sea region and is allocating about TL 394 billion ($10.36 billion) over five years, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said on Friday.
The investment, part of the Eastern Black Sea Project (DOKAP) Action Plan, aims to implement 158 projects to boost economic growth and improve the quality of life for the region's 6 million residents across 11 provinces.
"The DOKAP Action Plan foresees a funding allocation of TL 394 billion for 158 projects over the next five years," Kacır told an event in Giresun province.
Alongside Giresun, the plan covers the provinces of Artvin, Bayburt, Gümüşhane, Ordu, Rize, Samsun, Trabzon, Tokat, Amasya and Çorum.
Investments in Samsun will focus on the medical, defense, machinery and automotive supply industries, while Trabzon will concentrate on advancing shipbuilding technology.
The plan also targets significant agricultural growth, aiming to increase the agricultural gross domestic product from TL 130 billion to TL 209 billion and expand rehabilitated pastureland from 2.8 million decares to 3.5 million decares, Kacır said.
In tourism, the government has set aside TL 30.3 billion to support investments, intending to increase the annual number of visitors to the region from 2.8 million to 4.5 million and double overnight stays from 4.9 million to 9 million, the minister added.
Friday's program follows the announcement by the government in December of a $14 billion regional development plan that aims to reduce the economic gap between the southeastern region and the rest of the country.
The eastern and southeastern provinces of Türkiye have long lagged behind other regions in most economic indicators, including gross domestic product per capita, partly as a result of terrorist attacks by the PKK terrorist organization.
In late January, the government announced plans to allocate more than $9.8 billion for the central Anatolian region through the Konya Plain Project (KOP) action plan over the next five years.
The KOP encompasses eight provinces: Konya, Aksaray, Karaman, Niğde, Kırıkkale, Yozgat, Nevşehir and Kırşehir. The project aims to bolster irrigation infrastructure, agriculture and animal husbandry.
