Firm, minister face maritime warfare

Firm, minister face maritime warfare

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

TAV chairman Hamdi Akın (R) speaks with Minister Yıldırım in this file photo. AA photo

Transport Minister granted “extraordinary privileges” to IDO, the company running high speed ferries in Istanbul and neighboring cities and purchased by TAV, a Turkish daily newspaper claimed Dec. 6. Both the ministry and TAV have denied the claims.

“Privatized for $800 million last April, Turkey’s Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım issued a circular granting privileges to IDO,” said Yeni Şafak, a Turkish daily publication close to the government.

In addition to ferry operation rights, the minister was accused of granting the right to run land transport vehicles to TAV, one of the largest construction and airport ground handling firms, according to the daily. The ministry also provided the right to start up new ferry lines to 40 harbors across the country and construct new docks for its ferries, the daily said, accusing the minster of favoring TAV. 

Yıldırım was the head of the IDO before he was elected as a member of the Turkish Parliament for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) during the 2002 general elections.

“We have initiated legal proceedings against the paper,” Sinan Çetin, press counselor for the Transport Minister told the Hürriyet Daily News. “I do not understand why the daily felt a need to publish such news. The claims are not true,” Çetin added.

“The accusations are groundless,” said TAV in an e-mail statement yesterday. The company would file a court case against the publication for damaging the company image through misdirecting public opinion, it added. “Competitiveness and transparency in business life cannot be achieved through groundless news accusing TAV and Turkey’s Transport Minister,” the statement said. k HDN
LATEST NEWS

  1. Türkiye 'neutralizes' nine PKK members in Iraq, Syria

  2. Kılıçdaroğlu faces first hearing in insult case

  3. Türkiye will continue on path to energy independence, Erdoğan vows

  4. COP29 draft deal proposes rich nations give $250 bln in climate finance

  5. MPs pass reforms on internal security
Recommended

Over 47 million foreign tourists visit Türkiye in 10 months

AI firms seek accords with publishing giants to maintain growth

Competition authority launches probe into Mastercard, Visa

BP announces $7 billion gas project investment in Indonesia

Trudeau to send checks to millions of Canadians

SEC Chair Gensler to exit, clearing way for Trump pick

Volkswagen workers head towards strikes from December
WORLD

COP29 draft deal proposes rich nations give $250 bln in climate finance

A new draft deal at U.N. climate talks Friday proposes rich nations commit $250 billion a year to help poorer nations combat global warming in a bid to break the deadlocked negotiations.
ECONOMY

Over 47 million foreign tourists visit Türkiye in 10 months

Foreign tourist arrivals in Türkiye increased by 7.03 percent year-on-year in January-October to 47.3 million, according to data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry on Nov. 22.

SPORTS

Türkiye heads to Nations League playoffs after Montenegro loss

Türkiye spurned the opportunity to finish atop its group in the UEFA Nations League and qualify for League A directly with a 3-1 loss at Montenegro on Nov. 19 night.