17.03.2026 13:31
The Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, responded to recent claims regarding the sale of bridges and highways. Şimşek stated, "There is no new privatization decision; routine work is ongoing for the assets in the program."
The U.S. press claimed that the operating rights of 9 toll roads, including the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, would be transferred to the private sector, and that the UK-based auditing and consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY) had been appointed for this purpose. Responding to recent claims regarding the sale of bridges and highways, Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek put an end to the discussions.
"NO PRIVATIZATION DECISION"
According to a report by Türkiye Gazetesi; Minister Şimşek stated, "No additional decision has been made regarding the privatization of bridges and highways recently. Routine preparatory work for the privatization of assets included in the privatization program is continuously carried out by the Privatization Administration."
Reminding that the assets subject to privatization were included in the program by a Presidential Decision, Şimşek emphasized that the privatization practices are conducted transparently.
"PUBLIC INTEREST IS CONSIDERED IN PRIVATIZATION"
Minister Şimşek expressed that the methods of privatization are determined according to the characteristics of the organizations and the conditions they are in. He also reminded that the public interest is taken into account by considering issues such as preventing the negative effects of a potential monopolistic structure, spreading ownership to the grassroots, creating privileged shares that the state will hold in strategic matters, and granting the operating rights of natural resources for a certain period only.
"REVENUE GENERATED GOES TO THE TREASURY"
Stating that the revenues generated from privatization practices are collected in the Privatization Fund, Şimşek said that priority is given to covering the expenses required for payments such as job loss compensation to personnel in privatized organizations and administrative, financial, and legal arrangements made for the preparation of the organizations for privatization. Şimşek emphasized that the remaining amount after expenses are deducted is recorded as income in the general budget.