Culture-Oriented Sustainable Development Measures Within the 11th Development Plan of Turkey

The Eleventh Development Plan aims to increase the multidimensional effect of culture on development by preserving and developing cultural richness and diversity for future generations and spreading cultural and artistic activities, and strengthening social integrity and solidarity around common cultural values.

Accordingly, it is stated that objective and easily accessible support mechanisms for cultural industries and cultural initiatives will be developed, and the impact analysis of existing supports will be performed. In addition, it is aimed to take measures to prevent monopolization in the production, display, and distribution of cultural products and to develop strategies for branding, marketing, and financing for products specific to our culture. Increasing education, certification, and R&D activities and diversifying the existing records, data, and national statistics on cultural industries are among the determining policies with the support provided to the cultural industries.

Another policy determined in the plan regarding sustainable development is to encourage and popularize the branding practices of local administrations and relevant public institutions regarding important places that add identity to the city. It is seen that Intellectual Property Rights are given a wide place, and detailed policies are determined in the mentioned plan with the publication of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in the Official Gazette on 25 March 2017. Strengthening the legal infrastructure and practice in the intellectual property system, developing the ecosystem that supports the creation of intellectual property rights, and accelerating the commercialization of these rights have been determined as the main objective, and it is stated that projects for the cultural industries based on copyrights will be supported by observing the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

In addition, the plan includes the following policies that support sustainable development;

• Ensuring that the importance and value of the products formed as a result of intellectual labor are adopted by all segments of the society and strengthening the information and data infrastructure regarding the products and works subject to intellectual property rights,

• Developing special support programs for cultural industries based on copyright,

• Diversification of existing records, data, and national statistics related to the cultural industries based on copyright,

• Increasing the connection of R&D and commercialization supports with the intellectual property system,

• Reviewing tax incentives for the commercialization of intellectual property rights,

• Preparation of a measurement report regarding the economic dimension of cultural industries based on copyright,

• Improving the collective rights management system in copyright and increasing copyright revenues by establishing a fair licensing system spread throughout the country,

• Supporting the registration and use of geographical indications in order to increase the competitiveness of our traditional, regional and local products on a national and international scale,

• Developing governance processes in the field of geographical indications, creating new platforms for trade, activating audit activities,

• Selecting registered geographically marked products with export potential, ensuring that these geographical indications are registered abroad and promoting them,

• Identifying the needs for the pre-application preparation processes and the development of post-registration sales and marketing network of geographical signs with the potential to be registered; based on this, implementation of capacity building projects with relevant stakeholders,

• Strengthening the connection of our natural and cultural values consisting of traditional knowledge and folklore based on genetic resources with the intellectual property system

• Determining policies for inventory studies in order to improve the capacity of our country regarding traditional knowledge and folklore based on genetic resources,

• Increasing the competitiveness and capacity of merchants and artisans in a way to adapt to changing economic and social conditions, supporting social and innovative cooperatives to increase cooperation and common working culture,

• Establishing units that will provide training, consultancy, and information support to merchants and craftsmen on export processes, entrepreneurship, R&D and innovation and state aids within the unions of Chambers of Merchants and Craftspersons,

• Increasing the effectiveness of these supports by providing additional interest support to the merchants and craftspersons who are interested in the manufacturing sector, export, branding, e-commerce, in loans granted with the support of the Treasury,

• Encouraging research centers, incubation centers, technology transfer, and innovation centers, and technology development regions to focus on certain areas and work in an integrated manner, thus encouraging these structures to support the relevant cluster activities

• Carrying out awareness and information activities by providing modular and certified training to relevant segments within the Intellectual Property Academy