IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlumade statements about the Yenidogan-Cumhuriyet-Emek metro line, which was manipulated by some circles as "IMM stopped the metro line". Speaking at the construction site of Sancaktepe City Hospital Station, İmamoğlu emphasized that the line has not been cancelled.
İmamoğlu pointed out that it is a necessity to fill in some of the points excavated due to production on the line, which cannot be credited because they are not included in the Investment Program of the Presidency of Strategy and Budget, due to environmental and seismic risks. Announcing that the works on the line will start again after the approval and credit is obtained, İmamoğlu said, “We have to fill this place in terms of the risk posed by the environment in terms of earthquakes. It is 1 month before we can open the places we are full, when we find a loan tomorrow. Our project approval efforts will continue. Our efforts to find credit will continue; just like in other places. Those who lament today are doing the ugliest of politics. There are also those who want to prove themselves; politically elected friends. "I look at them with sadness," he said.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) President Ekrem İmamoğlumade inspections at the Sancaktepe City Hospital Station construction site of the Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe-Sultanbeyli metro line, which is under construction. The main agenda item of the study tour was the suspension of the works on the Yenidogan-Cumhuriyet-Emek metro line, which cuts the Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe-Sultanbeyli Metro line. İmamoğlu was informed about the subject by Pelin Alpkökin, Head of IMM Rail Systems Department, who accompanied him. Alpkökin shared the following information about the Yenidogan-Cumhuriyet-Emek Metro line, which has been manipulated by some circles as "IMM has stopped the metro line":
ALPKÖKİN SHARED DETAILED INFORMATION
“Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe-Sultanbeyli metro line (main line) and Yenidogan-Cumhuriyet-Emek Metro line were tendered as a package in 2017. Then on December 29, 2017, the productions were stopped. The lines were stopped when the progress percentage on the main line was at about 4 percent, while on the other line at about 2 percent. A few - not even construction - tunnel access shafts have been drilled. The main line is in the investment program; so we can use credit for this place. However, for our other line, two applications were made to the Ministry of Transport for approval, in 2 and 2017. The Ministry of Transport also did not approve it, since the demand here was not enough for the metro demand. Since it was not approved, it could not be included in the Investment Program of the Presidency of Strategy and Budget. Since it could not be obtained, we cannot use the credit we found for the main line here. So, once this is approved, we can do a study for the loan again and start again after we find the loan. Because we can't use the credit we got for this place here. The approximate value of this at today's price is 2019-2.1 billion TL. We and the previous administration also applied for approval; both were rejected. Their reasons are as follows; They're looking at it very technically. If the number of passengers that will pass through a section in 2.2 hour is above a certain amount, they say, 'Let a subway be built here'. Unfortunately, travel demands are below that.”
“WE SHARED THE CHALLENGES WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES OF ÇEKMEKÖY AND SANCAKTEPE”
Making evaluations after Alpkökin, İmamoğlu said, "We have always tried to be transparent and sharing in these matters," and said:
“We shared the difficulties in these matters with both Çekmeköy Municipality and Sancaktepe Municipality at meetings. In those meetings, while expressing the difficulties of this job, we also requested contributions. We said; 'Look, the crediting of these, the approval of an investment, and then our contribution to the crediting process will accelerate our journey.' At the end of the day, here is the transaction: We found a loan for the section of the Çekmeköy-Sultanbeyli line outside the branch going to Taşbeyli-Yenidoğan. Because this place had investment approval. Let's call out to the people of Newborn and Taşdelen; The decision to be made by the government regarding the inclusion of this line starting from Sarıgazi in the investment plan was both rejected in 2017 and rejected in 2019. So it was rejected twice. Despite our request, it was denied again. Therefore, without this approval, we have no chance to get a loan here.”
“OUR WORK CONTINUES ON 10 METRO LINES THAT WE HAVE LOANED”
Emphasizing that they continue their fast work on the 10 metro lines for which they have found loans, İmamoğlu said, “Today, we allocate money from our own resources of over 4 billion liras to the manufacture of metros. But we divide into 10 of them. We pay VAT to some and the missing part to others. We also have funicular lines that we spend directly from equity. But this place is about 2.2 billion liras in today's money. So 2.2 quadrillion liras. We need to allocate half of the equity we allocate here, so that we can do it here. Our current budget does not have such power. But if we borrow money, we can. Therefore, we started from Emek Hospital; We have not canceled the process regarding the Sarıgazi, Taşdelen, and Yenidogan hotline. This place has a project; has not been cancelled. But as I said; Since the approval was not given, the process did not work by the central government. We cannot spend the credit we found in Çekmeköy-Sultanbeyli here. There is no such rule. So you got credit here, spend it here; you cannot do it. Since there is no approval, you cannot find or get a loan from abroad. Therefore, this process did not work,” he said.
“1 MONTHS TO OPEN THE PLACES THAT WE ARE FILLING TOMORROW, WHEN WE FIND LOAN”
İmamoğlu also gave the following information for the filling operations on the Yenidogan-Cumhuriyet-Emek metro line:
“We need to fill this place in terms of the risk posed by the earthquake in terms of the environment. It will take 1 month to open the places we are full, when we find a loan tomorrow. Our project approval efforts will continue. Our efforts to find credit will continue; just like in other places. As soon as we find it, it's 1 month before we open it. That's why, today, those who are clamoring are doing the ugliest politics. There are also those who want to prove themselves; politically elected friends. I look at them with sadness. I wish they would call us and get information. In other words, we are on the end of the phone about everything. Let them come and ask us for a presentation, or let them go to friends and give a presentation; but for those who want to learn. There is nothing we can do to him.”
“WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE THE LINE EFFICIENT”
Pointing out that the works are continuing to make the said line efficient, İmamoğlu said, “My friends are trying to make that line more efficient by making it a branch that cuts the Göztepe-Ümraniye line, which is under construction, and our Bostancı-Dudullu line. around here; We are trying to transform Istanbul into a holistic line that cuts Istanbul on an east-west axis, and to find easier approvals and loans. My friends continue to work on the project not only with the Sultanbeyli-Çekmeköy line, but also with a more efficient line that connects other intersecting lines. Therefore, our intention is clear. I repeat: we did not cancel this line. But since we can't right now, we had to stop it in terms of environmental impact. Istanbulites and our citizens there should not worry. We made the right decision not to risk their lives. But tomorrow we found money, we found resources, -of course, the government's approval is needed first - we'll start right away. We will open them in 1 month; don't worry," he said.
THE PROJECT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT PROGRAM
Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe-Sutanbeyli and Yenidogan-Cumhuriyet-Emek metro lines (formerly Sarıgazi(Hospital)-Taşdelen-Yenidoğan) were tendered together on March 3, 2017. The construction of the two lines, the contracts of which were signed on April 14, 2017, were suspended on December 4, 29, while they were at the stage of physical progress of 2017 percent. IMM requested that the projects be included in the Investment Program of the Presidency of Strategy and Budget in order to reactivate them. Credit was obtained in October 2019 for the Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe-Sultanbeyli section included in the program and the work on the line was started. İBB followed the same process to start the construction on the 6,9 km long, 6 stations, Yenidogan-Cumhuriyet-Emek metro line. An application was made for the approval of the General Directorate of Infrastructure Investments, which is required for the inclusion of the project in the Investment Program of the Presidency of Strategy and Budget. Applications made by IMM to the General Directorate of Infrastructure Investments in 2015 and 2019 were rejected. Decisions that the demand for travel is low for the metro and that it is not considered appropriate were notified in writing to the IMM. IMM cannot apply for existing loans and new foreign loans due to the incomplete approval processes.
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