While Ownership of These Assets Will Not Be Transferred, Operating Rights Will Be Granted to Companies.

Turkey's Official Gazette has published a presidential decree authorizing the privatization of two Bosphorus bridges in Istanbul, eight motorways, and two ring roads for a 30-year period. The decision, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was. The assets included in the privatization program are the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü in Istanbul, along with the Edirne-İstanbul-Ankara, Pozantı-Tarsus-Mersin, Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep, and Toprakkale-İskenderun motorways.

While ownership of these assets will not be transferred, operating rights will be granted to companies. The privatizations are expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2031. Until the process is finalized, the General Directorate of Highways will continue to manage services on the bridges, motorways, and ring roads.

Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, a lawmaker from the YENİ Party for Zonguldak, criticized the decision on X, calling it a "betrayal plan. He wrote: "The two Bosphorus bridges and eight motorways operated by the state for a fee generated a total profit of $600 million in 2025. Over 30 years, that amounts to $18 billion! At the current exchange rate, that is 871 billion 920 million lira!

Privatizing these bridges, motorways, and ring roads, whose costs were paid years ago with citizens' taxes and which the state operates at a high profit, is a betrayal of the citizens. The companies that will operate these roads through privatization will impose hike after hike on vehicle tolls for 30 years. This is selling Turkey's future! Abandon this privatization decision immediately!