TEHRAN - Tehran will give priority to Turkish ``Tepe Akfen Vie (TAV)`` group in the second phase of the International Imam Khomeini Airport tender in case this group submits a bid, said Iranian Minister of Roads & Transportation Mohammad Rahmati.
TAV group won the first phase of the tender but was not allowed to manage the airport.
Answering a question, Rahmati indicated that Iranian executives had talks with TAV executives about the equipment it had supplied for the airport. But, he said, no figure had been mentioned yet.
TAV says that it has spent about 11 million USD for the airport, but has not received anything from Iran yet.
According to sources, the second phase of the airport tender will cost 200 million USD.
In the international tender it joined in May 2003, TAV offered the highest bid and was granted the right to manage the International Imam Khomeini Airport. It signed a protocol with Iranian Civil Aviation Administration in July, and began investments.
The airport was inaugurated on February 1st, 2004. However, the airport was closed on May 8th, 2004, citing security concerns, for national security reasons.
Turkish government`s initiatives to maintain TAV`s investments and management did not bear fruit.
Former Iranian Minister of Roads & Transport Ahmad Khorram said that there was not any security problem at the airport. He was dismissed from his office after a censure motion was adopted. Khorram was replaced by Rahmati.