Policy developments for improving the situation of Roma have gained momentum in Turkey, in parallel to the developments within the EU countries where significant Roma populations exist. Following the Roma Inclusion Studies, measures have been put into practice and various activities have been carried out, notably the following:
  • A workshop in 2009, organised with the Roma Non-governmental Organisations,
  • The Prime Minister's meeting with about 15,000 Roma citizens in 2010,
  • ‘Enhancing Educational Opportunities for Roma Children’ workshops organised by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) by taking into account the recommendations of several Roma NGOs in 2011,
  • ‘Participation of Roma in the Labour Market’ workshop organised by the Turkish Employment Agency (IŞKUR) with the former Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
  • The Ministry of Interior (Mol) also took measures to issue identity cards without any fees to all Roma citizens.
  • Promoting Social Inclusion in Densely Roma Populated Areas Project (SIROMA) was implemented in 2015-2017 under the 4th component of IPA 2007-2013, HRD OP. The beneficiary was the former Ministry of Family and Social Policies, and the co-beneficiaries were MoNE and MoH. The Project contributed to the initiation of the Roma Strategy Document and promoted the integration of disadvantaged persons, specifically Roma population, into the labour market. It promoted the functioning and coordination among the institutions and the mechanisms concerning labour market and social protection. 20 Social Service Coordination Units (SSCU) at the provincial Social Service Centres in 12 provinces were established, under the responsibility of the MoFSP, which were located within provincial Social Service Centres (SHM) in the districts with high Roma population.
Since 2011, the co-ordination role for all Roma initiatives as well as the responsibility to prepare the National Roma Strategy and its monitoring has been assigned to the General Directorate of Family and Community Services (DGFCS) at the Ministry of Family and Social Services (MoFSS).

In compliance with the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) II Regulation of European Union (EU) of financial assistance for 2014-2020, the European Commission (EC) has adopted an Indicative Strategy Paper for Turkey (2014-2020) in 2014 . It sets out the priorities for EU financial assistance. Under the sector Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights is defined as a sub-sector, which comprises the priorities under Chapter 23. Issues related to the social inclusion of the Roma people are dealt with in Chapter 19. Turkey’s National Action Plan for EU Accession Phase II (2015-2019) includes priorities related to Roma inclusion. Also, education, employment and social inclusion of Roma are covered under the Chapters 26 and 19, respectively.

Turkey joined the Roma Integration 2020 Initiative with the support of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) of the South Eastern Europe and identified MoFLSS as the National Roma Contact Point for the Initiative. The First Public Dialogue Forum in Turkey was held on 13 September 2017 in Ankara, organised by the RCC Roma Integration 2020 Action Team in close cooperation with the National Roma Contact Point of Turkey to assess the Roma inclusion policies and their implementation. Turkey has become a member of the Ad hoc Committee of Experts on Roma Issues (CAHROM) of the Council of Europe, and the MoFLSS has been assigned the CAHROM member and the substitute of Turkey, and Turkey has become active in the intergovernmental work on Roma issues. The activity of the CAHROM is currently continuing in the framework of the ADI-ROM structure, a committee steers the Council of Europe’s intergovernmental work toward protection and promotion of the rights of Roma and Travelers and their social inclusion.

Turkish Government has adopted a Strategy Document towards Roma citizens for the years 2016-2021, as well as two medium-term action plans, for 2016-2018 and 2019-2021, which are consistent with the objectives of the EU Framework and the Europe 2020 targets. Whereas the Strategy Documents in the EU countries have, as a rule, four priority areas, the scope of the Turkish one is larger, consisting of the following five priority areas: 1) education, 2) employment, 3) housing,
4) health, and 5) social services and social assistance.