The European Union (EU) has established the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) within the framework of Council Regulation No 1085/2006 in order to support candidate and potential candidate countries. IPA support includes five components, and Turkey can benefit from all components in the status of candidate country in Annex 1 of the IPA regulation. The fifth component of IPA, Rural Development (IPA Rural Development- IPARD) supports the harmonization preparations and policy development for the implementation and management of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, Rural Development Policy and related policies. IPARD support should be implemented within the scope of the multi-annual “Rural Development Programme” covering the years 2007-2015.

The IPA Rural Development Program (IPARD Program) for Turkey has been designed taking into account the country's priorities and needs in the pre-accession period in the context of rural development. In this framework, the strategic priorities of the European Union Multiannual Indicator Planning Document were taken into account, as well as the priorities of the 9th Development Plan covering the years 2007-2015, the Agriculture Strategy and the National Rural Development Strategy covering the years 2006-2010. The EU's IPA Council Regulation 1085/2006 and the IPA Implementing Regulation No 718/2007, which includes the principles of implementation of the regulation, constitute the basis of the Program.

2014-2020 Period IPARD Program (IPARD II)

“2014-2020 Period IPARD Program” was approved by the European Commission on 27 January 2015.

In the IPARD II Programme, existing sectors (agricultural enterprises, processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products, diversification of farm activities) will continue to be supported. In addition to these existing sectors, "agriculture environment-climate-organic agriculture", "implementation of local development strategies" and "rural infrastructure services" were included in the IPARD II Programme. Diversification of farm activities and “Renewable energy” in the business development sector, “machine parks” and “mushroom” have also been added to the sectors to be supported.

There have been some changes in the existing sectors with the IPARD II Programme. Unlike IPARD I, buffalo milk production, egg poultry and goose breeding were added within the scope of support to agricultural enterprises. In addition, there have been increases in grant rates in some sectors.