The Turkish government plans to allocate TL 350.7 billion (some $9.83 billion) for the central Anatolian region through the Konya Plain Project (KOP) action plan over the next five years, a senior official announced on Friday.
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.
The plan also includes initiatives to advance regional development in agricultural machinery, defense industries and the automotive sector.
About 21.5% of arable agricultural land in Türkiye is located within the KOP region, while it accounts for only 7.7% of the country's usable water potential, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said on Friday.
"In line with the KOP Action Plan, we aim to channel TL 350 billion into 166 projects over a five-year period," Kacır told an event in Konya province.
Friday's program follows last month's announcement by the government of a $14 billion regional development plan that aims to reduce the economic gap between the southeastern region and the rest of the country.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz on Friday said similar development programs are planned for other provinces, starting with Giresun and Erzurum.
