Institutional Context and Territorial Policy: Analysing the New Regional Policy and Regional Development Agencies in Turkey (original) (raw)
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This article investigates the relationship between Europeanization and regionalization processes in Turkey. In this respect, it analyses the causes and mechanisms encouraging regionalization process during the EU accession process. Findings suggest that while some of the changes are considered as direct effects of Europeanization (i.e., the adoption of NUTS classification), other developments (i.e. the creation of regional development agencies and their role in regional planning and allocation of national funds) are invoked by indirect mechanisms of Europeanization. The findings also illustrate that although the EU's credibility has declined after 2005 and its regional policy have shifted towards the more centralized model in the post-Lisbon era, developments in these areas in Turkey have gone to opposite directions, more accurately, through the more regionalized model. These changes not only reflect the pre-Lisbon practices of EU regional policy and structural funds underlining a spill-over effect resulting from the dissemination of EU practices and policies, but also contain the spices of Turkish administrative tradition.
Turkey's step-by-step embedding in the institutional and policy environment of the EU is currently compelling the country to establish a fitting structure of regional governance. Key element in this structure is the creation of regions at the NUTS II level that will be equipped with Regional Development Agencies. Yet, the present political and economic situation in Turkey throws some doubt on the scope and future for RDA development. To what extent will the central state be able and willing to devolve authority and resources to the local level?
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