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Turkey: TESEV's report on "Kurdistan"
recommends state investment
24.11.2006
Contribution: Vladimir van Wilgenburg, a non-Kurdish
writer from Netherlands |
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November 24, 2006
The U.N. Development Program (UNDP), led by Kemal
Dervish, prepared a report entitled “Social and
Economic Priorities in Eastern and Southeastern
Anatolia” covering 21 Turkish cities with the
contribution of the Turkish Economic and Social
Studies Foundation (TESEV).
In the report, it describes the provinces as the
most underdeveloped in Turkey and notes the problem
of poverty must first be solved.
The report pointed out the lack of education and
underdevelopment in the region negatively affect
investment decisions: “These two observations show
that one cannot be hopeful in solving the region’s
economic problems by a large-scale industrial step
to attract investors with incentives.”
Sixty percent of the population lives below poverty
line in 21 cities, including Adiyaman, Agri, Bingol,
Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gumushane,
Hakkari, Kars, Mardin, Mus, Siirt, Tunceli,
Sanliurfa, Van, Bayburt, Batman, Sirnak, Ardahan and
Igdir, according to the report coordinated by Dr.
Orhan Kurmus and led by Dr. Ayse Hudat, Professor
Halis Akder and Professor Caglar Keyder.
The per capita GNP in the region is as low as seven
percent of the EU average.
Unemployment is a major problem in the region and
even the tendency to open a grocer will remain
limited unless people’s purchasing power increases.
Population flow to western Turkey and attraction
centers planned in North Iraq may increase in case
the current situation continues.
In the report’s assessment on the health industry,
it is emphasized the region has insufficient health
investments and services.
Secondary health services are lacking and “people
deprived of health services, a most fundamental
citizen right, cannot be expected to live in
security and therefore act in a way to promote
economic development,” the report said.
Investments in both primary and secondary services
in the region should be increased and regions with
incoming migration should be given priority.
The green card implementation in health services
should be spread further.
Patients are having communication problem at
hospitals; Kurdish-speaking assistant nurses should
be employed at all health institutions.
The report states Turkey should produce optimal
policies to solve the problems of the people in the
region with social programs in the next term, and
mobilization would close the state’s infrastructure
gap as well as develop the private sector in the
region and attract companies to the region.
In the report, it is stated sufficient funds and
political support should be provided to reduce the
regional inequality and in addition to the green
card implementation and programs for the elderly and
disabled, the Conditional Cash Transfer
implementation should be maintained with a targeted
scope.
Source: Zaman
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan"
Southeast Turkey.
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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