‘Public tenders won by pro-government companies exceed Turkey's 2020 budget’

* Photo: Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Mersin MP Ali Mahir Başarır has protested that the total price of public tenders won by companies that are known to be pro-government, such as Cengiz Construction, Kalyon, Limak, Kolin and Makyol, exceeds the 2020 budget costs.

Addressing a Parliamentary question to Vice President Fuat Oktay, CHP's Başarır has asked, "Considering that these five companies are constantly winning public tenders from the state, can we say that it is because they are close to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government?"

Remindin that, most recently, the tender of "Trabzon - Aşkale Highway Zigana Tunnel Link Roads Reinforcement Construction" has been won by Cengiz Construction, Başarır has questioned "which public tenders these five firms have won since 2002 and for how much Turkish Lira (TRY)."

'They are high on the list across the world'

In his Parliamentary question, CHP Mersin MP and Party Assembly member Ali Mahir Başarır has briefly stated the following:

"It has been reported in the printed and visual press that the Directorate General of Highways' tender of 'Trabzon - Aşkale Highway Zigana Tunnel Link Roads Reinforcement Construction' has been given to the Cengiz Construction company, which is owned by Mehmet Cengiz and has won several public tenders before, for 953 million 203 thousand TRY.

"It is publicly known that the vast majority of big public tenders are given to the Cengiz Construction, Kalyon, Limak, Kolin and Makyol companies.

"After the law on public tenders was amended in 2002, Makyol, Kalyon, Cengiz Construction, Limak and Kolin, which are the companies that have an important share in public tenders, especially with the public-private partnership projects, are high on the World Bank's list of companies that won the highest number of tenders from the state across the world in 1990-2017.

"Media outlets have reported that the total price of public tenders won by these five firms from the state is approximately 150 billion dollars. When we calculate this number based on current foreign exchange rates, it accounts for 1 trillion 117 billion 500 million TRY.

"According to the 2020 Central Government Budget Law, the total expenditure has been approved as 1 trillion 95 billion 500 million TRY.

"In other words, the total price of the tenders won by these five firms is higher than the 2020 budget costs that all our citizens have a share in.

'Is it a coincidence?'

Against this backdrop, the CHP MP has asked:

"Since 2002, which public tenders have been won by the above-mentioned companies and for what price? Can you indicate them separately?

"Is it a coincidence that the Cengiz Construction, Limak, Kalyon, Kolin and Makyol companies frequently win public tenders from the state during the AKP era? Considering that these five companies are constantly winning public tenders from the state, can we say that it is because they are close to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government?

"How would you explain that the total price of public tenders won by these five companies is higher than the 2020 budget costs that all citizens living in our country have a share in?" (HA/SD)