Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Overhauls Infrastructure with $4.3 Billion in Grants and Loans
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, through its subsidiary İLBANK, is revitalizing municipal drinking water and sewage infrastructure under the ‘Water, Sewage, and Infrastructure Project’ (SUKAP). Minister Mehmet Özhaseki announced that the ministry has provided municipalities with grants and credit support worth 117 billion TL (approximately $4.3 billion) as part of the initiative.
“Through İLBANK, we are revitalizing the infrastructure of our cities with the grants and loans provided to municipalities, and we continue to prepare our cities for the Century of Turkey,” said Minister Özhaseki. “With our infrastructure investments, we will keep strengthening our cities,” he added.
The SUKAP project, initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, aims to support local governments with their drinking water networks, water treatment, wastewater networks, and wastewater treatment needs.
Minister Özhaseki emphasized the impact of these efforts: “Under President Erdoğan’s directive, we have provided grants and credit support amounting to 117 billion TL to municipalities since 2011. We’ve completed 1,415 projects, including 556 for drinking water distribution and treatment and 859 for wastewater distribution and treatment.”
The SUKAP initiative provides municipalities with populations under 25,000 with a grant covering 50% of the project cost, with the remaining costs met through favorable loan conditions. Municipalities with populations over 25,000 are offered loans covering up to 100% of the project cost. İLBANK oversees financing, tendering, and project execution, ensuring these infrastructure projects are delivered to local governments in a timely manner.