Kalyon has carved out a mountain this time for a road project...

Kalyon İnşaat, one of the companies that receives the most public tenders and described as one of the "gang of five" by former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has carried out another environmental massacre. According to a report by İsmail Arı from BirGün, Kalyon İnşaat carved out a mountain for a road project in Kocaeli. The soil extracted from the area where trees were cut down is being transported to the road construction site by Kalyon İnşaat's trucks.

TENDER AWARDED FOR 628 MILLION 889 THOUSAND TL

According to information in the Public Procurement Bulletin, the General Directorate of Highways, affiliated with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, held a tender on February 6, 2020, for the construction of the İzmit-Kandıra and Ağva-Kandıra-Kaynarca roads. The tender, conducted via the negotiated procedure under the controversial Article 21/B of the Public Procurement Law, was awarded to Kalyon İnşaat for 628 million 889 thousand TL. It is known that this method is used for non-competitive, pre-determined tenders.

While Kalyon İnşaat, which won the tender, continues road construction work, it has emerged that an environmental disaster has been committed. Trees were cut down in the Balaban Forest in the Kocakaymaz village of the Kandıra district. Subsequently, soil began to be transported to the area of the road project by Kalyon İnşaat's trucks.

'AN ENVIRONMENTAL MASSACRE IS BEING COMMITTED IN PLAIN SIGHT'

Speaking to BirGün, local residents said, "We blocked the path of the trucks with banners in our hands to stop the work and held protests. When we conveyed our objections regarding the issue to the Kandıra Municipality, the Mayor tried to convince the residents by saying they would plant trees. According to allegations, there is no permit or anything for this area. The material extracted from here is being sent to the Kandıra road. An environmental massacre is being committed in plain sight."

According to information on Kalyon İnşaat's website, the company, which made a name for itself by purchasing Sabah and ATV, has also undertaken numerous projects such as the Mecidiyeköy-Mahmutbey Metro Line, the Taksim Pedestrianization Project, the Bakırköy Courthouse, the Mecidiyeköy Metrobus Tender, the Istanbul 3rd Airport Project, the Başakşehir Stadium, the Çanakkale-Ayvacık Road, and the TRNC Water Supply Project.

KALYON HOLDING IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST

At the wedding ceremony of Ömer Faruk Kalyoncu, son of Hasan Kalyoncu, the former Chairman of the Board of the Kalyon Group of Companies, in Istanbul, the then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the then-Parliament Speaker Bülent Arınç served as wedding witnesses. 11 ministers, including the then-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, attended the wedding ceremony. Kalyon İnşaat was also at the top of the list of the 20 contractors that signed the most contracts in Turkey in 2020. On the list, Kalyon İnşaat was followed by Kolin İnşaat, Cengiz İnşaat, Makyol İnşaat, and Özgün Yapı.

'THEIR GOAL IS FOR KALYON İNŞAAT TO WIN, AND FOR EVERYTHING ELSE TO PERISH'

The social media account named Northern Forests Defense (Kuzey Ormanları Savunması) stated in a post on the platform X, "They have massacred thousands more of our trees. They destroyed our Northern Forests and wiped out one of our mountains to open a 'highway' in the Kandıra district of Kocaeli. We are under an unprecedented forest destruction in history. There is only one goal: for Kalyon İnşaat to win and for everything else to perish."

News Source: 12punto