Higher planning council meets in Ankara

The Higher Planning Council (YPK), led by State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Erken, met yesterday in Ankara. The meeting lasted over seven hours, with government spokesman and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek, State Minister Hayati Yazici, and various bureaucrats also in attendance. The meeting focused on public investments and policies for 2009-2011. Speaking to reporters, Erken said that regional economic development and investment projects such as the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GOP) and Konya Plain Project will be government priorities. Stating that areas such as education, health, technological research and the "e-state" project will also be priorities, he added, "The investment shares of the energy and transportation sectors have been preserved through 2010. The government will work to reduce regional differences in terms of development." The government is also focused on projects in line with Turkey's European Union harmonization, he added.