Istanbul's Famous Bridges to be Sold? Government Explores Privatization

Turkey's main opposition party claims the government is preparing to privatize two of Istanbul's most critical bridges. Deniz Yavuzyılmaz, a senior member of the CHP party, made the accusation. He stated that the General Directorate of Highways has hired a foreign company to study the plan. The proposal would privatize the Boğaziçi and Fatih Sultan Mehmet (FSM) bridges for 25 years. These bridges are vital transport links between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Yavuzyılmaz strongly criticized the potential move. "The cost of these bridges was paid years ago with citizens' taxes," he said. "Privatizing them is a betrayal of the public."