The Eurasia Tunnel, which was opened in 2016 and became operational with the build-operate-transfer model, has recently been at the center of political debates over its transit guarantees and financial statements. While the government argues that the number of guaranteed vehicles has been exceeded and that this provides additional income for the Treasury; The opposition is trying to refute these claims by claiming that the exchange rate difference payments reach much larger amounts.
According to the data announced by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, approximately 58 million 398 thousandFor the number of vehicles, tunnel 62 million 389 thousandThe vehicle passed. Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that a 30% profit share was taken from the extra vehicles passing by and for 2023 23 million TLwith for 2024 120 million TLtotal including 143 million TLHe noted that revenue was generated. These figures were presented as a table supporting that the tunnel provides income to the public.
OppositionThis table says the opposite. CHP Hatay Deputy Nermin Yıldırım Kara said that due to the exchange rate difference of the Treasury, the operating company 6 billion 193 million TLHe announced that he had made the payment. Kara said, “The Minister is literally mocking our minds. The amount presented as profit is approximately 45 times“They are paid back to the companies,” he continued his criticism. He stated that these payments, made through the transition guarantee, are no different from a “tribute” and underlined the burden that the exchange rate guarantee mechanism carries on public finance. Foreign currency based guaranteesHe once again brought to the agenda the impact of such projects on the public budget.
