Industrial Investments and Indicators of Van in the Planned Development Period

Abstract

Following the coup d'état on May 27, 1960, in Turkey, the subsequent regime devised a strategy to facilitate socioeconomic progress, known as the planned development model, which had already been implemented globally. In this respect, the State Planning Organization (SPO) was established to plan and execute the four five-year development plans prepared during 1960–1980. Basic principles such as import substitution, industrialization, socioeconomic development, and the elimination of inter-regional development disparities were included in the plans. The SPO sought to identify underdeveloped areas using socioeconomic-level determination research to address interregional inequality. These areas, including Van, were designated as Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and provided additional public support. In this period, there was a notable emphasis on industrialization to attain expeditious economic growth, thereby establishing it as the principal instrument. Significant industrial investments were undertaken by the public and private sectors, exerting a decisive influence on the spatial distribution of development. Public support was critical to socioeconomic development in cities like Van, where the private sector needed strengthening. This study employs quantitative data from the research mentioned earlier by SPO to analyze Van in terms of provincial public industrial investments and relevant indicators.