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Turkey Courts Investors for Billions in Highway Privatization
17 Apr
Summary
- Turkish officials met with Portugal's largest highway operator, Brisa.
- The privatization involves billions of dollars in state-run highways and bridges.
- Two Bosphorus bridges in Istanbul are considered prime assets in the sale.
A Turkish government delegation recently visited Portugal to engage potential investors in a multi-billion dollar highway and bridge privatization plan. Officials from Turkey's privatization board, accompanied by consultants from EY, held meetings in recent weeks. These discussions included a specific meeting with senior executives from Brisa, Portugal's largest highway operator, to explore their interest in the Turkish assets.
The privatization aims to raise significant revenue for the government and decrease infrastructure maintenance expenses. Among the key assets are Istanbul's two Bosphorus bridges, which are highly profitable due to consistent high traffic volumes, with approximately 430,000 vehicles using them daily in 2026. The government plans to offer concession rights rather than outright ownership.
This move follows a previous attempt in 2013 to privatize similar assets, which was canceled when the bid price was deemed too low. Brisa, which previously expressed interest in Turkey's infrastructure market and operates 14 highways in Portugal, has been reducing its international concessions. It remains unclear if other Portuguese companies were approached or are considering participation in this new privatization drive.
