Türkiye unveiled a $14 billion plan to boost development in its southeast, aiming to bridge economic disparities and foster peace amid hopes to end the PKK insurgency.
Türkiye announced on Sunday a $14 billion regional development plan that aims to reduce the economic gap between its mainly Kurdish southeast region and the rest of the country.
The announcement comes amid increased hopes for an end to a decades-long insurgency waged by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in southeast Türkiye as well as the advent of a new leadership in neighbouring Syria with cordial ties to Ankara.
The eastern and southeastern provinces of Türkiye have long lagged behind other regions of the country in most economic indicators including gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, partly as a result of the insurgency.
Turkish Industry Minister Fatih Kacir told reporters in the southeastern city of Sanliurfa that the government would spend a total 496.2 billion lira ($14.15 billion) on 198 projects across the region in the period to 2028.
"With the implementation of the projects, we anticipate an additional 49,000 lira ($1,400) increase in annual income per capita in the region," he added.
According to 2023 data, the per capita income of Sanliurfa stood at $4,971, well below the national average of $13,243.
Regarding the prospects for peace in southeast Tüekiye, two Turkish lawmakers met the PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan on Saturday, the first such visit in a nearly a decade, and they quoted him as indicating he might be ready to call on the group's militants to lay down their weapons.
The visit followed a call by a close ally of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Ocalan to end the PKK's 40-year insurgency, in which more than 40,000 people have been killed.
The conflict between the Turkish state and PKK, now centred on northern Iraq, was mainly focused in southeast Türkiye in the past.
"Terrorism has caused great harm to eastern and southeastern regions of the country... A terror-free Türkiye will create great benefit to the region," Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on Sunday at the event in Sanliurfa.
Türkiye and Western countries classify the PKK as a terrorist organisation.
Yilmaz also referred to recent developments in Syria, where Islamist rebels backed by Türkiye took power this month after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad and his flight to Russia.
"The opportunities that will come with the new era in Syria will increase the welfare of our entire country. Our southeastern region will benefit more from these developments," Yilmaz said.
NATO has confirmed that its 2026 summit will be hosted by Türkiye, with Albania set to host the following summit in 2027, according to the final declaration from the summit in The Hague.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague to discuss key regional and global issues.
The European Union will provide €20 million in humanitarian aid to support vulnerable refugees in Türkiye. This funding will be directed to humanitarian partners working closely with Turkish authorities to address refugees’ essential needs, including protection, health, water and sanitation, etc.
Türkiye has voiced strong concern following the United States’ strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, warning that the action could dangerously escalate the conflict and trigger a global crisis.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held a series of high-level meetings in Istanbul with senior officials from the UN, Qatar, Pakistan, and Iran, amid growing regional tension following Israel's attacks on Iran.
NATO has confirmed that its 2026 summit will be hosted by Türkiye, with Albania set to host the following summit in 2027, according to the final declaration from the summit in The Hague.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague to discuss key regional and global issues.
NATO allies have pledged to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a major increase aimed at countering long-term threats, particularly from Russia and terrorism.
The Kremlin on Wednesday said Tehran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is a "direct" result of the recent Israeli and US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
King Charles will welcome U.S. President Donald Trump for a state visit later this year, marking the president’s second official visit to the U.K. under royal invitation.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Greek authorities have arrested a Georgian woman suspected of accidentally causing one of the wildfires devastating the island of Chios by discarding a cigarette, amid ongoing efforts to control the fires.
NATO has confirmed that its 2026 summit will be hosted by Türkiye, with Albania set to host the following summit in 2027, according to the final declaration from the summit in The Hague.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague to discuss key regional and global issues.
NATO allies have pledged to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a major increase aimed at countering long-term threats, particularly from Russia and terrorism.
The Kremlin on Wednesday said Tehran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is a "direct" result of the recent Israeli and US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
NATO has confirmed that its 2026 summit will be hosted by Türkiye, with Albania set to host the following summit in 2027, according to the final declaration from the summit in The Hague.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague to discuss key regional and global issues.
NATO allies have pledged to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a major increase aimed at countering long-term threats, particularly from Russia and terrorism.
The Kremlin on Wednesday said Tehran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is a "direct" result of the recent Israeli and US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
King Charles will welcome U.S. President Donald Trump for a state visit later this year, marking the president’s second official visit to the U.K. under royal invitation.
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