The Twelfth Development Plan Published in the Official Gazette

The Twelfth Development Plan (OKP), covering the years 2024-2028 and prepared by the Presidency of Strategy and Budget, has been published in the Official Gazette’s duplicate issue dated 01 November 2023.

Development plans have been playing a significant role in our country since 1963. These plans determine policies to be followed not only in economic matters but also in fundamental areas such as education, health, and social security.

The OKP outlines objectives for the period of 2024-2028, highly influencing the country’s policies for the next 5 years. In this context, the OKP is based on five axes, namely:

• Qualified people, strong family and healthy society
• Stable growth, strong economy
• Competitive production through green and digital transformation
• Disaster-resilient living spaces, sustainable environment
• Democratic good governance based on justice

In the OKP, the priority sectors have been identified as chemicals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, electronics, machinery, electrical equipment, automotive, and rail system vehicles, while the priority development areas have been agriculture and food, energy, defense industry, and tourism. The highlighted areas among sectoral policies drew significant attention. Goals were set for employment, investment, entrepreneurship, and public investment policies, which are a reflection of the axis of qualified human resources and labor. Moreover, the objectives and forecasts under the titles of intellectual property rights, information and communication technologies, and services aimed at enhancing trade and consumer protection are quite significant. We have summarized the key objectives related to these areas.

In the OKP, there is a series of objectives aimed at protecting and enhancing intellectual property rights. The plan seeks to raise awareness of intellectual property, support it through education and awareness programs, and particularly aims to create awareness among young people and educational institutions. Additionally, various steps will be taken to increase the personnel capacity of courts related to intellectual property rights, encourage academic studies, improve the licensing system, and increase the economic value of intellectual property. The plan also includes support programs to encourage the commercialization of intellectual property.

The information and communication technologies section of the OKP focuses on increasing domestic value-added, improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the economy, and reducing dependence on foreign technology. Moreover, it aims to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of electronic communication infrastructures operated by the public and private sectors. Additionally, OKP includes important measures in areas such as national broadband strategy, infrastructure development, strengthening competition, disaster preparedness, support for domestic products and services, and cybersecurity strategy.

The topics such as the development of open-source software, digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises, and increasing awareness of cybersecurity are among the focal points of the plan. The plan also details policies and steps regarding national cybersecurity assurance, defining the framework for data management, supporting the development and use of technology in artificial intelligence. Establishing regulations in collaboration between the public and private sectors for quality visual and audio content production, branding, contributions to the economy, protecting copyright in the publishing sector, and enhancing media literacy are also significant objectives within the plan.

In the section focused on enhancing trade and consumer protection services, the objectives regarding increasing competition, rectifying deficiencies in wholesale and retail trade, enhancing the security of electronic commerce, and protecting consumer rights were covered.

Key steps outlined in the plan include establishing infrastructure such as electronic transactions in trade and information systems in retail trade, modernizing wholesale trade, and implementing regulations to protect producers and consumers. Additionally, the plan aims to promote electronic commerce and e-export, restructure consumer arbitration boards, and, as an important one, create platforms to resolve consumer complaints through digital means.

Furthermore, the plan emphasizes increasing educational activities for consumer awareness, updating consumer information systems, and implementing specific measures to protect vulnerable consumer groups. The focal points of the plan encompass various measures aimed at enhancing the security of electronic commerce, safeguarding consumer rights, and raising consumer awareness.

It remains to be seen how the current legislation will be affected by the implementation of the OKP and the potential for new regulations in line with these goals.

You can reach the full text of the OKP here (only available in Turkish).