Latvia rejected two Turkish companies bidding for the high-speed train railway project to be built in the three Baltic countries, and instead accepted the joint offer of companies affiliated with EU member states.
The prime ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia signed an agreement for the high-speed train railway project called "Rail Baltica" in 2017. The project envisages the 700-kilometer railway heading towards the Polish border to connect the capitals of the three countries and the Lithuanian city of Kaunas.
Two Turkish companies, Doğuş İnşaat and IC İçtaş İnşaat, also participated in the tender for the construction of the Latvian section of the project. According to the Latvian state company Eiropas Dzelzcela linijas, which undertook the supervision of the project, two companies that bid approximately 500 million euros for the project did not win the tender.
Latvian company sözcüLinda Pastare explained that the reason why two Turkish companies were disabled was the negative opinion of the Latvian State Security Service.
Latvian state television stated that Turkish companies were considering appealing the decision. Television pointed out that one of the Turkish companies had been involved in major projects in Russia in the past. Latvia is one of the European Union member countries that wants to expand sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine.
The Baltic country instead awarded the contract to a partnership of France, Poland and Italy, which bid 3,7 billion euros for the project.
The project in question is considered to be the largest infrastructure project to be carried out in the region in the last 30 years.