Tender mania grips Ankara

Based on the results of tenders from the first six weeks of the year, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP-controlled Ankara Metropolitan Municipality has finalized nearly 114 million Turkish Liras worth of tenders. The amount for the first two months of 2008, however, was just 21 million liras. This is a 430 percent increase in tenders approved by the Ankara Municipality.

According to data from the Public Procurement Authority, between Jan. 1 and Feb. 19, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality ranked top in finalizing tenders by organizations. However, companies that belong to the municipality won most of the tenders. A tender worth nearly 2.8 million liras for services to the disabled appears to have been won by a firm called Belpa, which belongs to the municipality. A tender worth more than 2.2 million liras for cleaning services at youth centers, children’s clubs and family life centers was also secured by Belpa. Among other tenders finalized by the municipality, one was for the construction of 23,000 square meters of granite curbs and nearly 52,000 square meters of granite sidewalks. The tender is worth nearly 12.75 million liras and a construction firm, Kalyon, seems to have won it.

44 million liras worth of aid packages
Purchase of various food and cleaning materials is also among the recent tenders approved by the municipality. A tender for purchasing various amounts of dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, soap, bulgur, dried beans, halva, rice, jam, vegetable oil, orzo, pasta and white cheese, worth nearly 45 million liras, was secured by Orpaş Gıda. A note concerning the tender said the packages containing the materials will be delivered to locations notified by the head of the Municipality’s Social Services Department.

The same tender for 2008 was worth 2.4 million liras, while in 2007 it was only 1.95 million liras. The cost of materials via this tender has increased 20-fold. Other tenders approved by the municipality in the first two months of this year include: "distribution of food and cleaning materials," "catering for the personnel who work at the fire department", "cleaning the stone surfaces on streets and boulevards," "buying of road cleaning vehicles," and the "annual purchase of 22.5 million loaves of bread."

A tender for distribution of food by the AKP-controlled Balıkesir Municipality was canceled after reaction from opposition parties and a warning from the Supreme Election Board.

Moreover, Hasan Erçelebi, Denizli deputy from the Democratic Left Party, or DSP, asked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan how many investigations and inspections had been launched into actions of mayors alleged of "conspiring to rig tenders," "procure unearned income for self and circle," and "gang up for mutual benefit" during the AKP’s reign.