Istanbul, Turkey, May 8, 2013 – The call for tenders for the construction of Istanbul’s 3rd airport has broken all records. Its amount reaffirms the city's capacity to offer infrastructure that fully meets the needs of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It highlights the sustained and lasting interest of investors as well as the development capacity of the public and private sectors of Turkey.
The bid that won the project amounts to 22,15 billion euros. It is the most important in the history of the Republic of Turkey. It was submitted by the Turkish consortium “Limak-Kolin-Cengiz-Mapa-Kalyon Joint-Venture Group”. The tender for the world's largest airport has attracted investors from around the world for a project which, over a period of 25 years, includes construction, operational implementation and transfer. This third Istanbul airport will be located in the European part of the city. The airport will see 90 million passengers pass through per year by the end of the first phase of work scheduled for 2017.
Hasan Arat, President of Istanbul 2020, commented:
“This is a very important milestone in the history of Istanbul. This third airport will help us guarantee the highest quality of services for all visitors to the city. Turkey's Master Plan planned for 2023 shows all the ambition of our country. Istanbul has evolved, our place in the world has changed and we have not yet shown what we are truly capable of. Ongoing developments in Istanbul will make the city friendlier and better connected for generations to come. »
The call for tenders ended while the latest figures show that more and more foreign tourists are attracted by Istanbul. There were 2,92 million in the first four months of 2013, representing an increase of 21% compared to the same period last year.
Following the outcome of the tender, Binali Yıldırım, Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication of Turkey, added:
“This airport will meet Turkey’s needs for the next 50 years”
Since its last Olympic bid, Istanbul has completed a large number of infrastructure projects through its transformational development program. Other major development projects are already underway or planned before the centenary of the Republic in 2023, including the Third Bosphorus Bridge, Metro Haliç, the Eurasian Road Tunnel under the Bosphorus and the Marmaray Rail Tunnel.
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Notes to editors:
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