Tender for Istanbul's Golden Horn Port on July 2: Report

ISTANBUL

The project includes two yacht ports, two five-star hotels, a large mosque, and shopping malls and parks, in an area of around 230,000 square meters. DHA photo

A tender for the privatization of the shipyards in Istanbul’s Haliç (Golden Horn) is planned to be held on July 2, daily Milliyet has reported.

The Transport Ministry initiated a tender process for the Haliç Yacht Port and Complex Project on May 14, according to the Official Gazette, following the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

The offers will be received on July 2 for the privatization of Camialtı and Taşkızak shipyards in Haliç, the Milliyet report said. The project includes two yacht ports, two five-star hotels – each with 400 rooms, a big mosque, and the shopping malls and parks in the area of around 230,000 square meters. The winning company or consortium will build the tourism complex in four years and hold the operation rights for 49 years.

Foreign companies are reportedly interested in the tender, as well as local companies.

Conservation of the historical structures of the area, which is over 500 years old, is planned to be taken into account.

50,000 liras for tender file

However, the companies that are intending to bid for the tender must pay 50,000 Turkish Liras to obtain the tender files. The amount of the bid bond has been set at 50 million liras. The deadline for the submission of the bids and the conditions required from potential bidders are specified in the tender documents. The Treasury will not provide any guarantee to the winner for its loans nor other expenditures. 

The Transport Ministry is rapidly expanding its infrastructure projects, from airports to marinas and highways. In May, it announced its plan to extend the Fenerbahçe-Kalamış Marina yacht capacity from 1,300 yachts to 2,000 yachts. It aims to increase Turkey’s yacht capacity from the current level of 17,000 to 20,000 by 2015 and to 30,000 by 2023, the year of the Turkish Republic’s 100th anniversary.

Haliç is near to Karaköy where the Galataport privatization was recently held. Doğuş Holding placed the highest offer for the privatization of the Istanbul Salıpazarı Port Area, commonly known as Galataport, with a $702 million bid, winning the right to operate the port area for 30 years.

The Privatization Authority (ÖİB) attempted to lease the area for 49 years in 2005, and a consortium, which was headed by renowned, now deceased, Israeli businessman Sami Ofer and his Turkish partner, Global Yatırım – which also attended yesterday’s bidding with another consortium – won the tender after outbidding their competitors with a 3.5 million-euro bid.