Response to claims that bridges and highways will be sold

It had been claimed that the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, and highways across the country would be sold. The Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) stated that this is legally impossible and that only operation and maintenance rights can be transferred to a private company.  

The statement made by the DMM regarding the matter is as follows: 

"In recent days, the claim that 'the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, and highways across the country are being sold' has been circulated in some media outlets and social media accounts, and these claims have been part of a disinformation campaign aimed at misleading the public.

The truth is; the 'sale' of highways and bridges is not legally possible. Ownership remains with the state, and only the transfer of operation and maintenance rights for a certain period to the private sector can be in question. This practice is not unique to the current government. With the Law No. 4046 on Privatization Practices enacted in 1994, a legal basis was prepared for the transfer of operating rights of public assets, including highways and bridges; this duty was given by law to the Privatization Administration, which carries out the same work today.

The privatization revenue target included in the Medium-Term Program does not cover the transfer of ownership of bridges and highways, but rather the revenues to be obtained from the transfer of operating rights. The transaction subject to the claims is not a sale, but a process of procuring financial and technical consultancy services. In this process, global examples are being examined, fair and transparent pricing models are being developed, alternative financing methods that will reduce the state's investment burden are being researched, and strategies that will protect the public interest at the highest level are being created.

The claims that the assets in question will be sold to foreigners or that they will be taken out of the state's hands are completely baseless. Expressions such as 'sale', 'burden on the citizen', and 'handout' used in the news are discourses aimed at creating a false perception."

News Source: 12punto