Presidency doesn’t approve opposition-led İstanbul municipality’s financed projects

* Photo: Büyükşehir Çalışıyor / Twitter

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İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, in a message on his social media account, has announced the projects and acquisitions in İstanbul that have not been approved by the Presidency.

According to İmamoğlu's message, the Presidency has not included the purchase of 300 metrobuses, for which funding has been found, in the 2022 investment plan. The Presidency has also not approved the subway to be constructed from İncirli to Beylikdüzü through Sefaköy.

Announcing the decisions on social media, Ekrem İmamoğlu, elected the Mayor of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in 2019, has asked, "Why?"

İmamoğlu has said:

"Our Presidency has not approved the purchase of 300 metrobuses, for which we have found funding, and has not included it in the 2022 investment plan. No problem; we will purchase them. But we cannot understand why you have not given approval for the subway that we will build in the 3rd Region where millions of İstanbulites live while even its funding is ready.

"No one will be able to hinder the construction of İncirli - Sefaköy - Beylikdüzü subway, which millions of citizens will use. Projects ready, investors ready, funding ready... But a signature is missing. Why?"

Approval for four provinces' purchase of busses

According to the 2022 Investment Program published in the Official Gazette by the signature of President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on January 15, the highest share in the investment funding (184.3 billion TRY in total) has been allocated to the transportation-communication sector with 27 percent.

The following financially supported and approved projects in the sector of Transportation-Communication-Intracity Transportation in 2022 have been listed in the related investment plan:

• Approval and financial support for the purchase of busses of the Ankara, İzmir, Mersin and Konya metropolitan municipalities
• Subway Line of Gayrettepe-İstanbul New Airport (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)
• İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Subway Link Lines (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)
• AKM-Main Train Station-Kızılay Subway Line in Ankara (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)
• Başakşehir-Kayaşehir Subway Line in İstanbul (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)
• Completion of the Yozgat and Bayburt Airport Infrastructure Works
• Opening of the Riza-Artvin Airport
• Reducing the travel time between the two cities with the Ankara-İstanbul High-Speed Train project
• The Ankara-İzmir High Standard Railway project with the aim of transportating goods and passengers between Ankara and İzmir
• Ankara-Sivas High-Speed Train project planned to be opened in 2022
• Halkalı-Kapıkule project that will ensure the transportation of goods and passengers between Europe and Asia
• Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep high standard railway project which will transport goods and passengers on the southern axis

(TP/SD)