Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) is carrying out one of the important projects in the transportation infrastructure of the city, Kirazlı-Halkalı announced that the partnership of Kalyon İnşaat and Özgün Yapı won the 21.9 billion TL tender for the metro line. This important tender will contribute to the expansion and modernization of Istanbul's transportation network, but the process has also brought with it many discussions and criticisms.
Tender Process and Bidders
Kirazlı- initiated by IMMHalkalı The metro line tender was first opened by the AKP-ruled Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 2017. At that time, 6 companies submitted bids for the tender. These companies included Yapı Merkezi and Limak Construction Joint Venture, Makyol Construction and IC İÇTAŞ Construction Joint Venture, Kalyon Construction and Özgün Construction Joint Venture, Cengiz Construction and Antaş Infrastructure Joint Venture, Doğuş Construction, Aga Energy and 58Yapı Construction Joint Venture. However, the process encountered various obstacles over time and the tender was canceled and turned into an invitation-only procedure.
Results of the Tender and the Effects Created on Public Opinion
The fact that the partnership of Kalyon Construction and Özgün Yapı won the tender by submitting the lowest bid of 21 billion 982 million 861 thousand TL caused a great stir, especially on social media. Journalist Bahadır Özgür announced the result of the tender on his social media account and drew attention to the changes that took place during the tender process. Özgür said, “The official result of the IMM’s metro tender has also been published. The tender of 3 billion TL, which was first made openly but was cancelled and converted to invitation method, and whose scope was expanded and the price was increased by 21.9 times, went to the Kalyon-Özgün partnership.” In addition, public expectations have increased regarding how such processes will be handled from a political and legal perspective. The opposition’s possible objections to the tender and the possibility of taking it to court, in particular, revealed how controversial the process has become.
Previous Tenders of Kalyon Construction and New Developments
Kalyon Construction, an unfinished Kirazlı-Halkalı It was also a partner in the metro tender. When this tender was liquidated and a new process was initiated, Kalyon Construction returned to the project to build the same line seven years later. This situation once again shows the strong influence of Kalyon Construction in the sector. However, the fact that the same company wins more than one tender is subject to criticism from some groups as a “gang of five”. Such criticisms cause tenders to be questioned in terms of transparency and fairness and emphasize that more control should be carried out at every stage of the process.
Kirazlı-Halkalı The tender for the metro line not only made a significant contribution to Istanbul's transportation infrastructure, but also led to significant discussions on tender processes, transparency and auditing. The tender won by the Kalyon Construction and Özgün Yapı partnership has aroused great public curiosity, while criticisms of the tender and possible legal steps in this process may become more prominent in the future.
