Research Information System
in: The Black Sea, Past, Present and Future, Erkut,G.,Mitchell,S., Editor, British Institute At Ankara And İstanbul Technical University, Bıaa Monograph 42, Ankara, pp.107-118, 2007
Dr. Dilek Özdemirg
Dr. Oya Akın*
Summary
The
Black Sea Basin influences a wide geography extending from Eastern Europe to
Eurasia and Asia. This area holds a
great portion of the world’s energy within its wide hinterland. Due to changing networks of socio-economic
relations across the world, and the establishment of new transport corridors
connecting Europe, Caucasus and the Middle East, strategic importance of Turkey
has increased considerably. In this
respect, it is imperative for Turkey to make use of her human capital,
resources, and market potential in order to strengthen her position by
controlling and directing flows of raw materials, goods and products passing
through.
In
the past two decades, Zonguldak-Bartın-Karabük
(ZBK) sub-region in the Western Black Sea, which had been an important growth
pole for coal mining and iron and steel industries, is faced with down-sizing
and privatisation in heavy industries, unemployment and subsequent
out-migration from the region. In the
restructuring of the ZBK sub-region, tourism and logistics can play an
important role in boosting the economy of the region which has the potential of
being an important gateway to Turkey.
Therefore, in order to benefit from the geopolitical advantage of
Turkey, and to realise regional development in the ZBK, these sectors have to
be developed by strategic spatial planning and investment into human capital
and technical infrastructure.
g Assist.Prof.Dr.
Dilek Özdemir, Yeditepe University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture,
Department of Architecture (dozdemir@yeditepe.edu.tr)
* Instructor Dr.
Oya Akın, Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban and Regional Planning (oakin@yildiz.edu.tr)