Türkiye plans to sell 30-year operating rights of two Istanbul bridges, along with several other highways, according to a presidential decree published in the country's Official Gazette on Saturday.
The privatization program includes the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, alongside a few highways including Nigde-Pozantı, the Gaziantep Ring Motorway and the Çağlayan Junction-Yenişehir Junction section of the Bursa Ring Road.
According to the decree, the program includes related maintenance, operating and service facilities, with ownership remaining with the state and the process set to be completed by Dec. 31, 2031.
Türkiye first attempted to sell operating rights of the Istanbul bridges, which connect the city's European and Asian sides, more than a decade ago, but did not proceed as it deemed a winning $5.7 billion bid too low.
Under a 2010 decision, the bridges and highways were planned to be privatized as a single package through the transfer of operating rights for a period of 25 years from the date of physical handover.
The new decision, however, introduced some changes, including extending the operating period to 30 years. The bridges and highways may now be privatized either as a whole or in separate groups.
In a written statement on the decision, the Privatization Administration (OIB) clarified that the new efforts do not involve the sale of public assets.
The administration said the model is based on transferring operating rights for a specified period while ownership remains with the state.
Reports earlier suggested that Ankara is looking to privatize some roads and bridges to ease budget pressures.
"Highways and bridges are not being sold. We are examining whether to grant operating rights for certain periods and transfer the cost of these works to the operator to prevent additional pressure on the budget," Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said earlier this year.
