The launch of the “Research Report on the Integration of Rural and Urban Economies (KIRKEP) Project”, completed with the cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and Özyeğin University, took place on December 22 in Ankara.


More than a hundred representatives from development agencies, regional development administrations, international organizations such as FAO and UNDP, as well as the officials of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, General Directorate of Development Agencies attended the launch meeting.


Making the opening speech of the report introduction meeting, Vice Rector of our University Prof. Dr. Tanju Erdem underlined that the Research Report on the Integration of Rural and Urban Economies was written at a time when the daily life practices of rural and urban were more transitive than ever before. Stating that he believes the research report will contribute to the development literature and policy makers, Erdem emphasized that our university will continue to be in a joint effort to increase the welfare level of our country with its academic knowledge, experience and networks. Our vice-rector concluded his speech by stating that the Agriculture, Food and Local Development Research and Application Laboratory (https://labs.ozyegin.edu.tr/loaf/) established within our university this year is a concrete expression of this vision and enthusiasm.


In his opening speech, Barış Yeniceri, General Manager of Development Agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, stated that the KIRKEP research report will make an important contribution to the field of rural and local development and expressed his satisfaction with the partnership they have made with Özyeğin University.


One of the faculty members of our university who prepared the research report, Dr. Faculty Member Candan Türkkan and Dr. Ali İlhan informed the participants about the methodology and content of the research report. Murat Bayramoğlu and Okan Pala from the Sustainability Platform also gave speeches pointing out the meaning and potential of the report and the cooperation with the ministry for Özyeğin University. One of the advisors of the report, Boğaziçi University faculty member Prof. Dr. Gökhan Özertan produced the research report and made a presentation within the framework of current needs. Launch meeting questions from participants Dr. Candan Turkkan and Dr. It ended with the answer by Ali İlhan.


This research on the integration of rural-urban economies in Turkey examined the integration on the basis of districts on different axes such as production, consumption, demographics and manifestations of social life, and produced policy recommendations on these axes. Integration levels of 170 districts included in the scope of the research were measured and classified over 41 different variables. The research study also contributed to the development of a set of methods and variables focused on measuring rural-urban integration concretely. The research project opened a discussion space for a spatial and integration-oriented approach to local and rural development for academia, civil society and policy makers.


Our university faculty member Dr. The KIRKEP Research Project, to which Faik Gür also contributed as a consultant, will shed light on future academic studies in terms of its district-oriented approach to the development problem, developing data-based definitions of integration, and developing propositions regarding the patterns between integration and development.

Click here for the report.