(Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego, 2012) Hüsnüoğlu, Nadide; Altınel, Ezgi
Regional development agencies can be characterised as semi-autonomous organisations that, in a multi functional and integrated manner, support economic development primarily through ‘soft’ means of policy, such as the provision of advice to SMEs inducing networking and learning. These agencies are implemented in EU and many other countries and leading organizations in development. Establishing regional development agencies in Turkey started with the effect of the process of joining EU. The main role that is imposed to these agencies are to guide the regional development and revive the regional economy. These agencies are in a position that is motivating development in these regions. In this study we excamined what roles RDAs are expected to play as part of the state’s organisational structure and policy programmes, versus a role as a self-sustaining strategic and/or operational agent and broker in particular regional settings. Whilst theories such as ‘new regionalism’ suggest that RDAs can lead integrated, bottom-up regional development actions, it is questionable whether Turkish RDAs have the capacity to adapt to the type of role that proponents of this approach expect.
