YÖDAK President and Members Attend the TRNC 4th Development Plan Meeting (2025-2029)
The President of the Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation, and Coordination Board (YÖDAK), Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın, along with YÖDAK Members, Vice President Prof. Dr. Hasan Amca, Prof. Dr. Hülya Harutoğlu, Prof. Dr. Zafer Ağdelen, Prof. Dr. Remziye Terkan, and Prof. Dr. Akın Cellatoğlu and General Secretary Erdinç Akgür attended the TRNC 4th Five-Year Development Plan (2025-2029) Meeting held on January 29, 2025.
The meeting was also attended by President Ersin Tatar, Speaker of the Republic Assembly Ziya Öztürkler, Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yılmaz, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Ambassador of Türkiye to Nicosia Yasin Ekrem Serim, CTP Chairman Tufan Erhürman, along with several ministers, members of parliament, and bureaucrats. Opening speeches were delivered by President Ersin Tatar, Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yılmaz, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, and Undersecretary of the State Planning Organization (DPÖ) Durali Güçlüsoy.
During his speech at the TRNC 4th Five-Year Development Plan Meeting, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel emphasized:
“This plan is not just a technical document; it is a roadmap for our people’s struggle to achieve the prosperity they deserve, a testament to our determination to address past shortcomings, and a concrete reflection of our will to build a stronger TRNC.”
Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yılmaz also spoke at the meeting, stating that the TRNC 4th Five-Year Development Plan represents a significant turning point for the future of the Turkish Cypriot people and marks the beginning of a strong development initiative.
Yılmaz further noted that the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan introduces a comprehensive set of policies aimed at shaping the TRNC’s economic growth process in depth, serving all segments of society, and enhancing social welfare. He also highlighted that the plan sets an annual economic growth target of 5% for the TRNC during the 2025-2029 period.
In his closing remarks, President Ersin Tatar emphasized that the plan will significantly contribute to strengthening the TRNC as a distinct state. He recalled that when he was Minister of Finance, Cevdet Yılmaz served as Minister of Development in Türkiye, and they had collaborated on several initiatives. President Tatar expressed his satisfaction in now evaluating the Development Plan together, with himself as President and Yılmaz as Vice President of Türkiye.
Higher Education Receives Comprehensive Coverage in the Plan
The TRNC 4th Five-Year Development Plan recognizes the higher education sector as a fundamental component of the country’s economic, social, and scientific development. The plan prioritizes enhancing the quality of higher education, strengthening internationalization, improving accreditation processes, fostering university-industry collaboration, and promoting research and development (R&D) activities.
Following the meeting, YÖDAK President Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın emphasized the critical role of higher education in achieving the TRNC’s sustainable development goals and reaffirmed YÖDAK’s commitment to maintaining a quality-focused governance approach. He also stated that YÖDAK will continue to play an active role in policy development to advance the higher education system.
YÖDAK Members underscored the importance of aligning higher education policies with development plans, strengthening quality assurance in education, encouraging scientific research, and developing policies to enhance graduate employability.
YÖDAK remains committed to collaborating with all stakeholders in the implementation of the outlined higher education goals and will continue its strategic efforts to enhance the national and international competitiveness of TRNC higher education.
