What is this rush?

There are notable developments in the public sector months before the presidential and parliamentary elections. The government, which opened new tenders for the unfinished constructions at 3-4 times the price, started to tender the public investments, which were 2-3 years before the expiration of the operation period, at an early stage. At the end of last year, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, which awarded the 25-year operating rights of Antalya Airport, whose operation period will expire in 2026, to the TAV-Fraport association, took action this time for Antalya Airport. Ankara Esenboğa.

EARLY BIDDING

According to the announcement of the General Directorate of the State Airports Authority (DHMI) published in the Official Gazette on November 16, 2022, for the construction of additional investments for the increase in capacity of Esenboğa Airport and the leasing of rights operational of national and international lines, CIP, general aviation terminals and their complements The tender will be held on December 20, 2022. The exploitation rights of the Esenboğa airport, currently operated by TAV Airports Holding, expired in May 2025.

I FINISHED DOING

A source, who did not want to be named, said that bidding 34 days after the announcement created a troublesome process, saying: “It is very difficult for a company that wants to bid with a foreign partner. It is impossible to translate thousands of pages of specifications into a foreign language during this time. For this reason, the tender will not create a healthy competitive environment. They are trying to bring the bidding to an end,” she said.

DETAIL OF SPECIFICATIONS

Emphasizing that it is notable that the tender was launched with 2.5 years to go until the expiration of the operating right, the source said: “DHMI had submitted a similar request for the Antalya airport, whose operation period will expire in 2026. Some elements of the Esenboğa airport tender specifications appear to be of a nature that would make it difficult for certain bidders to participate in the tender.

25 PERCENT ADVANCE

Noting that there is a clause in the tender document that 25 percent of the 25-year rental price is to be paid upfront, the source said: “The revenue is given to current government use, taking into account payments which should start after 2025”. The company TAV and German Fraport, which presented the best offer with 7,250 million euros in the tender held to increase the capacity of the Antalya Airport and for the 25-year operating right, paid 25 percent of the rental price for the period 25 years old from January 2027 to December 2051. He had paid in advance.

Tender on December 20

The Esenboğa Airport tender will be held on December 20, 2022 at 10:00 am at the General Directorate of DHMI using the closed bid auction method. In the aforementioned tender, the sale price of the specifications was set at 150 thousand liras and the amount of the offer guarantee was set at 10 million euros.