Izmir-Ankara High-Speed Rail line turns into a never-ending saga: Cost has increased 19-fold!

As debates continue in Turkey regarding public tenders and unfinished projects, the delays and cost increases experienced in the Izmir-Ankara High-Speed Rail (YHT) line have left their mark on the agenda. The project, which was first announced in 2013 and tendered in 2020 via a negotiated procedure, was announced to be completed in 2023. However, in the time that has passed, the project has only progressed by 6 percent.

In the project, where the cost has reached 83.5 billion TL—exactly 19 times the initial projection—the advance payment and price difference requested by the construction company, ERG İnşaat, on the grounds that the euro had not risen significantly, also draw attention. While the company received an advance of approximately 600 million euros, the project, which was said to be ready for the 100th anniversary of the Republic, has long since passed its promised completion date.

7 ELECTIONS HAVE PASSED, STILL NOT FINISHED

DEVA Party Izmir Deputy Seda Kâya Ösen stated in her remarks regarding the project, "One presidential, three general, and three local elections have passed, but the project is still not finished. When we look at the cost increases since 2021, we can see the gravity of the situation more clearly."

Ösen emphasized that project costs have been constantly increasing year by year. According to the data, the cost, which was 18.1 billion TL in 2021, rose to 24.9 billion TL in 2022 and 62.1 billion TL in 2023. The fact that the total cost has reached 83.5 billion TL as of 2025 shows that the project has become a "black hole" for the Turkish budget.

News Source: 12punto