Tenders awarded by Antalya Metropolitan Municipality over 6 years draw attention! AKP figures are also on the list

The 12.4 billion tender awarded in August 2024 by the CHP-led Antalya Metropolitan Municipality administration to the MAKYOL-Özkar partnership, which is part of the group publicly known as the 'Gang of Five,' accounts for 90 percent of the total tender amount for the year. Among the names that have been receiving tenders from the Metropolitan Municipality for years is the company of Muhammet Emin İlhan, an AKP member of the Kepez Municipal Council. It has also emerged that Abdullah Durmaz, who was a parliamentary candidate for the CHP in 2018, has received a total of 10 tenders from the Metropolitan Municipality within 6 years.

Journalist Yusuf Yavuz reported in a post on his X social media account that there are individuals who have received tenders from the municipality 27 times during the Böcek administration. While the decision to procure services for many tasks that the institution could perform with its own resources is interpreted as transferring funds to certain circles, it turns out that the most money in the tenders awarded is paid to fuel and vehicle rental companies. Of the 1,682 vehicles used within the municipality, 899 are rented. It was revealed that a total of 489 million was paid in 8 tenders awarded to a single company for vehicle rental.

Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek announced the 2025 budget, which was approved at the council session held on November 18. Announcing the budget in a social media post, Mayor Böcek stated that the Metropolitan Municipality budget is 39 billion TL, and that they will serve citizens with a total budget of 103 billion 800 million TL when the 27 billion budget of ASAT and the budgets of the 19 district municipalities are added.

METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY'S BUDGET IS LARGER THAN THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR'S

The 2024 budget of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality was announced as 16 billion. The total budget of 103.8 billion announced for the Metropolitan Municipality for 2025 has surpassed the budgets of many ministries. The 2025 budget of the Ministry of Interior was announced as 96 billion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as 39 billion, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as 53 billion, and the Ministry of Trade as 56 billion. The 2025 budget of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, which is the subject of criticism every year due to the astronomical budgets allocated to it, was announced as 130.1 billion.

WE EXAMINED THE TENDERS AWARDED BY THE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY FROM THE EKAP ARCHIVE

In our research through the publicly accessible Electronic Public Procurement Platform (EKAP), we found that 1,023 tenders were awarded during the 6-year period between March 31, 2019, when CHP's Muhittin Böcek—who emphasizes at every opportunity that he is the "first mayor to win the metropolitan municipality for two consecutive terms"—took office, and November 16, 2024, the week the 2025 budget was discussed. These figures do not include tenders awarded by ASAT, the institution with the largest budget in the municipality.

A TOTAL OF 1,023 TENDERS WORTH 20.6 BILLION WERE AWARDED DURING THE BÖCEK TERMS

The total amount of the 1,023 tenders awarded by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality within this period under the Public Procurement Law No. 4734 as 'Exception' and 'Out of Scope' amounts to 20 billion 672 million 917 thousand 201 TL. During this period, 2023, when preparations for local elections were also made, stands out as the period with the highest number of tenders, with 254. It is observed that a budget of 191.4 million was allocated for 64 tenders in the last three quarters of 2019, 558.2 million for 123 tenders in 2020, 569.7 million for 195 tenders in 2021, 1.3 billion for 244 tenders in 2022, 4.4 billion for 254 tenders in 2023, and 13.8 billion for 143 tenders in 2024.

90 PERCENT OF THE TENDER AMOUNTS AWARDED IN 2024 WENT TO MAKYOL

It has emerged that 90 percent of the total amount of tenders awarded in 2024 by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, under the administration of CHP's Muhittin Böcek, who started his political career in ANAP, was given to a single company. According to the contract signed on August 21, 2024, regarding the Antalya 4th Stage Rail System tender awarded to the MAKYOL and Özkar partnership, which is a member of the 'Gang of Five' that CHP officials criticize at every opportunity, a payment of 12 billion 435 million 863 thousand 372 TL will be made in return for the construction work.

12.4 BILLION TENDER AWARDED TO GANG OF FIVE MEMBER MAKYOL

The 12.4 billion tender amount awarded to the MAKYOL-Özkar partnership also constitutes approximately 70 percent of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality's (excluding districts) 16 billion 2024 budget. The tender amount awarded to Makyol, a member of the Gang of Five, also accounts for 15 percent of the total amount paid in tenders awarded by the institution over the last 6 years. While CHP Chairman Özgür Özel frequently voices his criticisms of the government through the Gang of Five, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır wrote a book about the Gang of Five. Addressing the public tenders awarded to the Gang of Five, Başarır signed his books for Mayor Muhittin Böcek and readers at the Antalya Book Fair on November 24, 2023.

UNCHANGING ADDRESSES IN TENDERS THAT TAKE THE LION'S SHARE

According to the tender contracts in the EKAP archive, it is seen that the lion's share of the tenders awarded by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality in the last 6 years has gone to fuel and automotive companies.

The total amount paid by the Metropolitan Municipality to the FSM company in two separate bus purchase tenders in 2023 is 378 million. While Metropolitan Municipality officials announce that they have set a net-zero carbon target in the fight against climate change, the money the institution spends on fuel tenders contradicts the set target. The Hesapçıoğlu Otomotiv company, which won the institution's fuel purchase tenders 6 times in 6 years, was paid 587.1 million. A payment of 25.7 million was also made to the Erdem Antalya Petrol company, which won two fuel tenders together with the Hesapçıoğlu company in 2019 and 2020.

A FORTUNE IS TRANSFERRED EVERY YEAR TO FUEL AND VEHICLE RENTAL

The Aydoğanlar Otomotiv company, which won the Metropolitan Municipality's fuel tender 8 times in the last 6 years, was paid 543.5 million. The amount paid to the Şekerler Global company, which was awarded the vehicle rental tender 8 times in the same period, is 489.4 million TL. Another company that won a total of 8 vehicle rental service procurement tenders in the same period is Galaksi Filo. The total amount paid to this company is 216.7 million TL. The payment made in the fuel tender won by the Mevlana Petrol Ürünleri company in 2021 is 22.5 million. In the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, where the amount paid to the Cerenler Petrol company in 2024 for the tender made in 2023 is 303 million, the fuel tender to be used for 2025 is expected to be held in December. The result of the tender will reveal how much the institution's fuel expenses, which increase exponentially every year, will be in 2025.

899 OF THE 1,682 VEHICLES USED BY THE MUNICIPALITY ARE RENTED

According to the information in the 2025 Performance Program of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality presented to the Council last week, it is stated that 899 of the total 1,682 vehicles in the institution are rented. Of the rented vehicles used within the municipality, 379 are pick-up type off-road vehicles, 149 are passenger cars, 43 are minibuses, 43 are panel vans, 55 are trucks, 28 are funeral vehicles, and 16 are off-road passenger vehicles. While it turns out that more than half of the vehicles used in municipal services are rented, the Court of Accounts' audit reports warned that some department heads and deputy secretaries-general were using official vehicles in violation of the legislation. The fact that some vehicles allocated to bureaucrats working within the institution are also used for private business brings with it criticisms that public resources are being abused.

TENDERS RAINED ON A COMPANY ESTABLISHED IN BATMAN AND MOVED TO ANTALYA

The 36-month vehicle rental service procurement tender covering the years 2020-2021-2022 and the 12-month vehicle rental tender for 2024 of the Metropolitan Municipality's Department of Health Affairs were awarded to the Olimpos Temizlik Yemekçilik Kurumsal company. It is seen that the Olimpos Temizlik Yemekçilik company was established in Batman in December 2014 and moved to Antalya in January 2022. Among the work completion certificates added to the company's registration record during the period it was established, it is seen that it received tenders from the Kepez Municipality and the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Social Services in 2012, from the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports and Akdeniz University in 2012, from the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Department of Health Affairs again in December 2012, and from the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Department of Social Services in the same year.

107 MILLION TENDER FROM CHP MUNICIPALITY TO AKP COUNCIL MEMBER

Muhammet Emin İlhan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Olimpos Temizlik Yemekçilik company, which received tenders from the CHP-led Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, serves as an AKP member of the Municipal Council in the Kepez Municipality. İlhan's company, who was an AKP mayoral candidate for Kepez in 2004 and an AKP parliamentary candidate for Antalya in 2018, received a payment of 78 million TL for two tenders in 2023 and 28.9 million TL for one tender in 2022 from the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.

HE BECAME A PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE FROM THE CHP, SNATCHED TENDERS FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

The name Abdullah Durmaz also stands out among the political candidates who received tenders from the Metropolitan Municipality. Abdullah Durmaz, who was a parliamentary candidate for the CHP in 2015, was paid around 25 million in return for a total of 10 tenders he received from the municipality in the last 6 years. It is stated that Abdullah Durmaz also holds the position of Chairman of the Anatolian Konyalı Associations Federation. It is seen from the social media post of CHP Provincial Chairman Nail Kamacı that Durmaz visited Kamacı on September 26, 2024, in his capacity as federation chairman.

24 TENDERS FOR A PRODUCT VARIETY THAT MAKES ONE SAY 'LET'S GIVE WHATEVER IS NEEDED'

One of the names that frequently receives tenders from the municipality in EKAP records is Başar Koçar. Looking at the product variety, Koçar, who has a range that could almost be described as "let's give whatever is needed," has received a total of 24 tenders from the institution worth approximately 32 million in the last 6 years. The year he received the most tenders was 2022. Among the products the Metropolitan Municipality purchased from Koçar are dozens of different items ranging from trash containers to sapling production materials, hardware to cemetery materials, agricultural poisons to bus stop materials, and wire mesh to fencing materials.

THE BUDGET FOR FESTIVALS PASSES THROUGH ANSET

The tenders for the festivals organized by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality are awarded to ANSET, one of the institution's subsidiaries. ANSET, in turn, gives work to subcontractors. Among the companies that receive the most organization and publishing work from the Metropolitan Municipality, the name of Aktüel, a publishing and fair organization company owned by Okan Kaya, who is known for his closeness to former Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, stands out. The total amount of 7 tenders awarded to ANSET in the last 6 years is 275.7 million TL. The total amount of 25 tenders won by ANTEPE, one of its subsidiary companies, in the same period is 423.1 million TL.

TENDER FOR THE PROJECT BUILT BY SUR YAPI GOES TO THE COMPANY OF AN AKP POLITICIAN

A total of 21.3 million TL was paid within the scope of the tenders awarded in 2021 to Arkela Yapı Mimarlık Mühendislik Elektrik A.Ş., the contractor for the project of smartening, energy monitoring, management, and automation of 534 residences built by Sur Yapı within the scope of the European Union 2020 MAtchUP Project and the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and Kepez Santral Neighborhood Urban Transformation Application, as well as the renewal and construction of the lighting system for Karaalioğlu, Düden, Yavuz Özcan, Akdeniz City Parks, Işıklar Street, and Republic Square. The Elazığ-based Arkela and Urul companies have the same partners. Ebubekir Akgül, one of the partners of Urul Altyapı Elektrik, served as an AKP member of the Elazığ Municipal Council. His partner and the owner of the Arkela company, Selçuk Urul, served as an MHP member of the Elazığ Municipal Council.

THE SAME COMPANY HAS RECEIVED TENDERS FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY 27 TIMES

It is seen that the same companies have received a large number of tenders for similar items from the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality in the last 6 years. Istanbul-based FMB Hırdavat with 27, İpek Hırdavat whose owners appear to be related with 12, Başar Koçar with 24, ATT Mühendislik with 22, Meridyen Tesisat with 11, and 7K Gıda, İsmet Bilim, Signa Tekma, Turanlar Yapı, Potent Grup, and Bolu TED Ecza Deposu are among the companies that received 10 tenders each. Albayrak İnşaat with 9, and Aydoğanlar, 5A Sağlık Ürünleri, Şekerler, SDS, and Galaksi Taşımacılık are among the companies that received 8 tenders each.

'WHAT WILL BE THE FATE OF THE 103.8 BILLION 2025 BUDGET?'

The 103.8 billion budget announced by Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek for 2025 is much larger than the budgets of many ministries, and is almost twice the amount of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's 56 billion budget. However, the picture that emerges from the tenders awarded by the institution in the 6 years under the Böcek administration shows that this massive resource, which should be spent on services for the city, is being transferred to similar companies and business people with political identities. The fact that irregular tenders and transactions contrary to the legislation, which are frequently emphasized in the Court of Accounts reports, are repeated every year brings to mind the question of what the fate of the 2025 budget will be.