Istanbul ferry line dispute gets heated

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The fued between the Istanbul Ferry Line (İDO) and rival Negmar is growing as both sides are issuing statement against one another in court.

The tension between the Istanbul Seabuses and Fast Ferries Company (İDO), the intercity company providing sea transportation service, and its new rival, the Negmar Sea Transportation Company, is heating up. The two parties are continuing to issue statements against each other in court after Negmar announced that they would begin operating on Oct. 25.

“Since we paid 861 million dollars [to the Istanbul municipality in a tender to win operation rights], our rivals should pay some amount as well,” said the written statement by Hamdi Akın, the chief executive of Akfen Holding, which oversees the operations of İDO.

“If such a thing is done without paying or organizing a tender, it would be unlawful. Of course we would make necessary attempts through lawful ways,” he said. The conflict between İDO and Negmar emerged about a month ago.

Negmar Sea Transportation Company, which is the subsidiary of Gübretaş Inc., Saudi Nesma Investment Holding, and

Istanbul Lines, announced that it would begin transportation between Topçular and Eskihisar in the Yalova-Istanbul region of northwestern Turkey. İDO, on the other hand, appealed to the court, claiming that Negmar did not make an official application.