TRANSPORTATION MINISTER YILDIRIM ON THIRD AIRPORT TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN ISTANBUL

"This airport will have at least 60 million passenger capacity and will have two unconnected runways," Yildirim said in an exclusive interview with the A.A correspondent.
Yildirim said the airport would be put to tender through "build-operate-transfer" model and expected to cost 5 billion USD.
Referring to the important developments occurring in the civil aviation in Turkey in the recent years, Yildirim said this caused intensity particularly in Istanbul's air traffic.
Yildirim said Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen airports were in service in Istanbul, "studies are underway for the third airport planned to be constructed in Istanbul. This will be built in the European side but the definite place is not set yet."
"This new airport will be one of the important facilities of Europe," he said.
Yildirim also said, "we are planning to put high speed train line between Ankara and Istanbul into service in 2013".
Giving information to A.A correspondent about the works of Directorate General of Highways, Yildirim said 24 important highway projects would be implemented through "build-operate-transfer" model.
"Some of those projects, totally amounting to 83 billion USD, will come into use in 2023 and some of them in 2035. We should meet the growing needs of Turkey," he underlined.