Two consortiums compete in Golden Horn port project in Turkey

ANKARA

The Sembol-Ekopark İnşaat-Fine Otelcilik joint venture and Cengiz-Taca-Galeri İnşaat joint venture presented their offers for the Haliç Yacht Port and Complex Project, following the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. Hürriyet photo

Two bids for the tender for the privatization of the shipyards in Istanbul’s Golden Horn (Haliç) were submitted early today.

The Sembol-Ekopark İnşaat-Fine Otelcilik joint venture and Cengiz-Taca-Galeri İnşaat joint venture presented their offers for the Haliç Yacht Port and Complex Project, following the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, organized by the Ministry of Transport, Maritime and Communication.

Doğuş Holding, which also presented its offer in an envelope, did not join in the tender, said Yalçın Eyigün, the head of the tender commission, noting that Doğuş had submitted a letter of thanks.

“After completing the examinations, an auction for 45-year rent offer will be held,” said Eyigün.

The documents of the bidding companies will be checked and their suitability for the technical specifications will be examined. The tender commission will invite the bidding companies that are found adequate on a determined date to open their offer letters that were submitted today. The bid that offers the highest rent will be submitted for the approval of the Ministry of Transport.

The project for the privatization of Camialtı and Taşkızak shipyards in the Golden Horn includes two yacht ports, two five-star hotels – each with 400 rooms – a big mosque for 1,000 persons and 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.

Conservation of the historical structures of the area, which is over 500 years old, is to be taken into account.
The Golden Horn is near Karaköy where the Galataport privatization was recently held. Doğuş Holding made 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 headed by renowned, now deceased, Israeli businessman Sami Ofer and his Turkish partner, Global Yatırım – which also participated in yesterday’s bidding with another consortium – won the tender after outbidding their competitors with a 3.5 million-euro bid.