Foreword
The local opportunities and local development book aims to share new ideas and different experiences with the wider masses, by examining the way out for the small Anatolian cities like Bingöl in the development process. The book is product of a significant effort to contribute to the local and regional knowledge accumulation. We believe that this book is unique in its field, especially in the context of development of the small Anatolian cities. The book provides an extensive framework with various examples of practical applications, different experiences and suggestions from many experts, academics and entrepreneurs specialized in local development. Possible readership of the book will be local and national institutions, private sector, NGOs and the academia interested in the development issues.
We hope that this book will be one of the reference sources exploring new ideas and investment opportunities in small Anatolian cities, the development process of these cities and regions; and a new source in which new proposals are shared in the direction of the goal of uncovering the social synergy and shared experiences.
This book is based on development of the local regions and the story of small Anatolian cities, and it distinguishes itself from other similar publications in many ways. It has a comprehensive stance that brings together new ideas and proposals for solutions from different areas of economic development, as well as focusing on local opportunities and the new ways out that these cities offer. This book is intended to be an important reference-book that emerges from the academic knowledge and experiences of many academics from various related disciplines, fields; and most importantly from various Anatolian cities, specializing in the experiences of these small Anatolian cities, their needs, and potential new suggestions.
The book gives a new insight into the regional development and, in a broader sense, the practicalities of development. In this context, one of the main ideas of the book is that; contrary to the huge sectors like heavy industry and defense industry in modern developed big industrial cities, small Anatolian cities such as Bingöl could gain significant competitive advantage by focusing on different high-value-added sectors such as labor-based industries, agriculture, and farming; as well as alternative sectors such as beekeeping and tourism.
The emergence of this book is also an important contribution to and the result of a serious social need. The fact that, especially in the developed countries, the idea of development cannot be considered totally independent from local development, and in parallel with the development and transformation of the Turkish economy in recent years, we believe that more attention should be given to the idea of local development. For this purpose, we hope to once again draw attention to this relatively new idea of local development with this book. Therefore, this book is a new mean to rethink the idea of local development and create more interest towards this rising trend.
The content of the book
What is the way out for cities and regions with mountainous and challenging geography, and in particular the small Anatolian cities that have no direct contact to the sea? What are the possible ways to develop locally and the potential salvation or escape out of poverty prescriptions? In what areas can they gain competitive advantage and continue to survive? As a whole, the book and different chapters of the book aim to offer simple, understandable suggestions to all of these questions and more.
Economic production of the province, the potential for creation of added value, the opportunities provided by geography; ways to gain competitive advantage and employment and local development theories; the effective use of social capital and other newly emerging alternatives such as Islamic economics for development are the main areas of discussion for this work.
The local opportunities and local development book, in this sense, focuses on;
- Significant new ideas and projects for small Anatolian cities and regions; new ideas and a new rhetoric,
- On one hand, providing an overall framework for economies of smaller Anatolian cities like Bingöl, their place in Turkey and in the world economy and the opportunities they offer;
- On the other hand, it discusses things that could be made at the point of activating the potentials and efficient use of the resources of these regional economies,
- On the other hand, creating new ideas and new methods as a solution to the problems that are frequently raised by entrepreneurs and local businesses,
- Discussions on the role of Islamic economics and finance as an alternative model in local and regional development,Ø Contributions of women’s active participation in the economy and real production, their contribution to the country’s economy and to the development efforts are also studied in details,
- Importance of NGOs in bringing up the issues that are not discussed much with the opportunities they offer by creating synergy in society, combining social capital with human and physical capital; and the importance of reconsidering the problems of the provincial economy is also examined,
- The problems and expectations of leading sectors and entrepreneurs are also summarized.
We hope that this book, which we believe is worthy of its effects and its local reflections on the economy and development of small Anatolian cities like Bingöl, will bring the desired and much-needed benefits to people of the region in the middle and long term.
In this new period, in almost every field, the need for more planned and efficient production and development programs in high value-added, technology-intensive and efficient production processes appears to be even more evident. In this new period, it is also necessary to allocate more time and space to the elements that use the resources and potential of the country and cities effectively and efficiently in every meaning and hence increase the productivity.
It is also exclusively important that the development be both generic and comprehensive, and include permanent and viable efforts to make it sustainable.
Our book
In our book, on one hand, the opportunities offered by the small Anatolian cities are being analyzed; and on the other hand, new proposals for development initiatives and programs are shared. For this purpose, while, on one hand, SME’s innovation strategies and marketing problems are analyzed; on the other hand, the role that human and social capital could play in the development process is also being investigated. Alternatives such as Islamic economics and finance are examined thoroughly. Alternative sectors such as tourism and leading sectors of development are also discussed in details. Various perspectives on the effects of migration on development, government incentives, global examples such as China, local and specific examples such as EkoFin are also examined comparatively.
This book, as well as other publications on development that will coexist, will act as a significant source of information for the long-run development of the provincial and regional economies. We would like to be able to share these resources with the local authorities and the responsible agencies at the first opportunity and to pass on to the follow-up process at the point of evaluation of solutions and new opportunities.
As discussed above, the Local Development and Local Opportunities book will be one of the first of its kind, in particular in the context of the development of the small Anatolian cities. Potential readers of this book are local and national authorities and institutions, NGOs, the private sector and the academia. We are planning to publish a Turkish (for the benefit of the small Anatolian cities, its people and the institutions there) and another English version (to have a better academic book) of this book project. The book will have both Turkish and English versions, so that it will be useful on a local basis, and will also reach all relevant institutions and organizations, in an effort to better serve the purpose.
