Turkey announces $18.5bn public investment programme for 2021

ANKARA: Turkey has announced a 2021 public investment programme worth 138.5 billion lira ($18.53 billion), with communication and transportation projects receiving the largest allocation of the investment funds.

The programme, published in the Official Gazette late on Friday, set aside nearly $6 billion for public investments in the transportation and communication sectors in 2021, and another $2.6 billion for education projects. Other investment areas include manufacturing, health, agriculture, tourism and energy.

Under the programme, Turkey's Transport and Infrastructure Ministry will receive some $2 billion, while the State Hydraulics Works (DSI) will receive $1.8 billion and the Highways Directorate $1.75 billion.

President Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for nearly 20 years with five consecutive election victories, had until 2018 enjoyed steady annual growth of around 5% fuelled by cheap foreign credit and "mega projects" ranging from bridges and tunnels to highways, hospitals and other construction.