Citizens' tax illuminates capital: Huge electricity tender from the public

During the AKP governments, numerous critical areas, from education and healthcare to transportation and energy, were abandoned to capital. The energy sector also received its share of the privatizations. In 2013, the government transferred electricity distribution entirely to the private sector.

Following electricity privatization, citizens were faced with exorbitant bills. Privatization wreaked havoc not only on citizens but also on public budgets. Electricity distribution companies, which received exorbitant payments from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and municipalities for street lighting, also earned billions of lira through electricity tenders for public service buildings.

Billion Dollar Spending

BirGün examined the mandatory energy expenditures of public institutions, which were forced to procure energy services through tenders due to the transfer of electricity generation to the private sector, between January and July 2025. It was determined that more than 1.1 billion Turkish Lira was spent in 16 tenders held by public institutions in the seven months of 2025, including January and July.

Between January and July 2025, 16 different public institutions held 16 tenders to purchase electricity from the free market. The total amount of money raised from these tenders reached 1 billion 181 million 568 thousand Turkish Lira.

MY BIG SLICES TO CENGIZ

Electricity companies belonging to Cengiz Holding , one of the holding companies dubbed the "Gang of Five" by the opposition, received the largest share of the tenders held between January and July 2025. The total value of the tenders won by Cengiz Electricity and CK Boğaziçi Electricity was recorded as 672,202,273 Turkish Lira. Some of the electricity purchase tenders held between January and July 2025, their contract prices, and the companies that won the tenders are listed below:

• Ordu Provincial Health Directorate: 153 million 868 thousand TL (Cengiz Electric)

• Kırıkkale University: 28 million 498 thousand TL (Cengiz Elektrik)

• Kocaeli Water and Sewerage Administration General Directorate: 489 million 836 thousand TL (CK Boğaziçi Elektrik)

• General Directorate of Highways Trabzon: 187 million 287 thousand TL (Reges Electric)

• Afyon Provincial Health Directorate: 66 million 550 thousand TL (Dicle Electric)

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THE BILL IS INCREASING

Public lighting payments made to electricity distribution companies for the illumination of streets and avenues continued at exorbitant amounts in 2025. According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, payments made from the public budget to electricity distribution companies between January and April 2025 amounted to 12,664,662,000 Turkish Lira. Payments made to companies between 2021 and 2024 are recorded by year as follows:

• 2021: 2 billion 961 million 630 thousand TL

• 2022: 10 billion 471 million 504 thousand TL

• 2023: 23 billion 627 million 763 thousand TL

• 2024: 32 billion 515 million 775 thousand TL