About GDRS

After the creation of the Turkish Republic on October 29, 1923, the first government stated that development should commence at the village scale. Today's GDRS is founded upon three previous government Directorates; TOPRAKSU (General Directorate of Soil and Irrigation Works), YSE (General Directorate of Rural Road, Potable Water and Electricity Affairs) and TOPRAK ISKAN (General Directorate for Land and Settlement). These development areas, now directed by the unified GDRS, deliver agricultural services and social infrastructure to rural areas in line with those original guiding principles of the Republic. Following the founding of the modern Turkish Republic, the Turkish National Assembly identified how the socio-economic fate of the new nation would be determined by the services supplied to the rural areas. The national economy was heavily dependent upon agriculture, and the rural areas were greatly in need of investments relating to sustainable agricultural production and to social infrastructure and education. As the Turkish economy has developed, so has emerged the clear importance of the role played by the rural agricultural sector. Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK, the father of the modern Republic, spoke of how "Peasants are the masters of the nation". This vision remains true to this day as the social and economic prosperity of Turkey depend on the interplay of population, agricultural production and environment in the rural agricultural sector. The rural services provided in the early days of the Republic by the Public Works Ministry and the Agricultural Ministry have been consolidated and improved over time as the development needs of the country evolve. Today, the face of modern Turkey reflects the adherence made to the three guiding principles of the great leader Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK; national unity, loyalty to the principles of the Republic and the determination to preserve the character of the nation. GDRS represents an important dynamic in this development and plays a key role in the achievements of the nation. The directorate and its previous components (TOPRAKSU, YSE and TOPRAK-ISKAN) have contributed to the restructuring of modern Turkey, raising the standard of living in rural areas and changing the demographic structure. Settlement Services GDRS undertakes many urban and rural settlement projects, each designed to offer a practicable and sustainable community. These developments aim to improve and enhance the lives of the inhabitants, providing them with sufficient accommodation and facilities to satisfy their social, economic and cultural needs. GDRS provide settlements for many groups in society, from those families expropriated from other areas by the state, to immigrants and nomadic people. By example, 1006 Afghan families who had immigrated to Pakistan as refugees due to political unrest in Afghanistan were brought to Turkey and have settled in the several provinces. Urban Settlement : GDRS provides for families expropriated from other areas by the state. Housing settlements are provided in the city centres, towns and the countryside in accordance with zoning and construction plans where land is available for development. All these settlement projects encourage local participation to achieve a return on investment. GDRS also undertakes the consolidation of unsustainable distant and scattered settlements as well as the establishment of village development centres. Rural Settlement : In order to satisfy the increasing demands for energy supply, irrigation and potable water resources, some agricultural land has been expropriated for the construction of dams, industry and other structures necessary for the benefit and development of the whole economy and country. For families who have to leave their homes because of this, agricultural settlement projects are implemented both to reduce rural to urban migration and to retain the productive capacity of the new settlements. As a result of this agricultural settlement approach, families making their living in agriculture can be provided with sufficient land, accommodation and other resources to allow for their continued social and cultural wellbeing. Agricultural Services GDRS has the responsibility for establishing an efficient social and economic infrastructure in rural areas. Almost half the Turkish population live in rural areas and makes its living through agriculture. The services provided by GDRS to the rural areas and communities are aimed to raise the general standard of living. GDRS has the responsibility for establishing the infrastructure for economic, social and physical development in these areas. In Turkey, quality agricultural land is a limited resource. To increase and sustain agricultural production, and to achieve the greatest benefit from this as goods reach the market, the use of contemporary technological and scientific advances should be expanded and continually reviewed. Detailed surveys are conducted on a national scale to determine factors including soil type, land use, land capability and fertility levels. Soil surveys are conducted which feed directly into the planning basis for catchment rehabilitation, soil conservation, irrigation and drainage and land consolidation projects. Soil and water analyses are conducted and factors limiting agricultural yield are determined. Farmers are provided with technical recommendations as to the appropriate use of fertilisers and other chemicals together with suitable crop rotation patterns. GDRS rehabilitates and develops state-owned land and makes it available for agricultural use. In addition to the rural transport network, on-farm roads are also constructed which allow transportation to extend to each field. To extend the use of irrigation in agriculture, small dams are built and irrigation water is then delivered to fields through constructed irrigation channels. On-farm water control measures and surface and subsurface drains are constructed to manage and discharge excess precipitation, runoff and tail water. Land levelling is undertaken in compliance with the natural landform to ensure the even distribution of irrigation water. Saline and sodic-saline soils considered inappropriate for agricultural production are reclaimed, whilst waterlogged land is improved through the use of surface and subsurface drains. Agricultural land is protected against flooding through the introduction of stream-bed rehabilitation works, and where necessary measures are also taken against erosion in irrigated areas. Once complete, these small irrigation schemes are handed to irrigation co-operatives to administer and manage. Loans are made available for farmers to support their financial obligations in the solution of soil and water-related problems in order to protect and increase their incomes and agricultural yield. Land Consolidation Services. Small, scattered land parcels owned by the same farmers or their families are improved by on-farm development work and are brought together by land consolidation for more efficient management. In gathering small scattered land parcels or land shares together, the main principle of land consolidation is to provide efficiently irrigation water and transport to each land unit. Land consolidation projects are often applied at the same time as on-farm development works. Such developments include the construction of on-farm roads and of structures to deliver irrigation water, land levelling, land reclamation and the implementation of drainage schemes. The purpose of these measures is to provide higher agricultural yields per unit area in a sustainable manner. Potable Water Services GDRS aims to supply potable water networks to every rural settlement unit, regardless of its geographic location or surrounding environment. The provision of adequate hygienic and potable water is a key indicator of civilisation. GDRS aims to achieve this for every village and affiliated unit through the provision of surface water abstraction and pumped groundwater wells. The provision of water supplies can prove extremely difficult, for instance where water must pass to settlements over mountains from distant artificial lakes and dams. Transportation Services GDRS provides transportation network facilities to rural areas, and constructs all road networks for villages, related settlement units and municipalities which fall outside the state and provincial transport network system. In addition to such road construction, GDRS is also responsible for the ongoing maintenance, upkeep, repair and asphalting of the network. Moreover, bridges and other civil engineering structures are constructed for these roads as required, whilst necessary arrangements are made for traffic safety. GDRS expends a huge effort in continuously maintaining the rural road network, keeping roads open even under severe natural and climatic conditions. Top of the page