A new 5-year Action Plan for the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) has been launched, covering the years 2024-2028. The plan aims to transform agriculture and industry in the region, reduce energy losses in irrigation projects, and introduce smart precision agriculture and smart livestock applications.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and several ministers attended the GAP Action Plan Information and Consultation Meeting.
"1 TRILLION IN PUBLIC INVESTMENTS"
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz announced that approximately 1 trillion 40 billion Turkish liras had been invested in the GAP region from 2003 to 2024. He emphasized that the new GAP Action Plan (2024-2028) represents a new opportunity to further develop the region, accelerate its future vision, and attract new investments.
Yılmaz highlighted the significance of private sector involvement, stating that "public and private sector investments will merge to achieve comprehensive development."
He also pointed out that in 2002, the total exports of the nine provinces in the GAP region amounted to $689 million, which increased to $13.7 billion by 2023, marking a 20-fold rise in exports. Additionally, the region's share in Türkiye's total exports increased from 1.9% to 5.3%, and workforce participation also grew. In 2004, 1.3 million people were employed in the region, and by 2023, this number had nearly doubled to 2.42 million.
570,246 PEOPLE EMPLOYED
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır spoke at the meeting, outlining the new GAP Action Plan's regional vision, which includes five key transformation programs. The first program is the irrigation program, with a budget of 214 billion lira.
Kacır noted that the new GAP Action Plan will provide employment for 570,246 people and that a total of 496 billion lira will be allocated for 198 projects between 2024 and 2028. He also emphasized that the GAP region has become Türkiye's food warehouse and introduced "GAP Precision," a local and national software that helps farmers determine optimal harvest times and the necessary amount of fertilizer.
COVERING 9 PROVINCES
Hasan Maral, Head of the GAP Regional Development Administration, stated that the GAP project covers nine provinces: Adıyaman, Batman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin, Siirt, Şanlıurfa, and Şırnak, all of which are nourished by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
