Bridges and Highways Included in the Privatization Program by Presidential Decree

The Presidential decision regarding the privatization of the 15 July Martyrs and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges and some highways and ring roads, which are under the responsibility of the General Directorate of Highways, for 30 years, was published in the Official Gazette. So, which roads were privatized? Have the 15 July Martyrs Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge been privatized?

WHICH ROADS HAVE BEEN PRIVATED?

The AKP government, which has carried out approximately 90 percent of the privatizations in Turkey's history by disposing of public assets since coming to power in 2002, has also officially taken steps to privatize bridges and highways.

With the decision published in the Official Gazette with the signature of AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, two more highways were included in the privatization program along with the bridges and highways included in the program in 2010.

Accordingly, it was decided to privatize the Edirne-Istanbul-Ankara, Pozantı-Tarsus-Mersin, Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep, Toprakkale-İskenderun Motorways and the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges, as well as the section between Çağlayan Junction and Yenişehir Junction of the Niğde-Pozantı Motorway, Gaziantep Ring Motorway and Bursa Ring Motorway, which were included in the privatization program in today's Official Gazette.

In the decision, it was stated that granting the right to operate the bridges and highways in question as a whole or in separate groups, leasing, establishment of non-real rights of ownership, right of income sharing and one or more of other legal disposal methods appropriate to the requirements of the work will be applied together.