BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 20. The European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is stepping up
support for critical infrastructure in Türkiye, providing financing
for two major projects aimed at improving urban mobility and
environmental resilience, Trend reports via the Bank.


The Bank is extending a €110 million loan to complete the
Ümraniye-Ataşehir-Göztepe metro line in Istanbul and providing a
€42 million sovereign loan to build a new wastewater treatment
plant in Osmaniye, one of the provinces hardest hit by the February
2023 earthquakes.


The metro project will link major residential areas, business
hubs and key healthcare facilities, including the rapidly expanding
Istanbul Financial Centre, significantly enhancing transport on the
city’s Asian side. By offering a fast, low-carbon alternative to
private vehicles, the line is expected to boost economic
productivity while easing congestion and improving quality of
life.


The investment also aligns with Istanbul’s action plan under the
EBRD’s Green Cities initiative, adopted in February 2025 with
support from the Taiwan Business-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund.
The project is expected to contribute to the city’s climate goals
by reducing traffic congestion, pollution and emissions.


In Osmaniye, the Bank is financing construction of a modern
wastewater treatment plant with capacity of 75,000 cubic metres per
day, replacing an overloaded facility that can no longer meet
rising demand.







Infrastructure needs remain substantial in regions affected by
the 2023 earthquakes. To date, the EBRD has invested more than €1.6
billion in Türkiye’s reconstruction efforts through credit lines,
SME support, private-sector partnerships and key infrastructure
projects.


The new Osmaniye plant will bring effluent quality in line with
European Union standards, improve regional water quality and cut
greenhouse gas emissions through anaerobic digestion and biogas
recovery. A dedicated capacity-building programme under the EBRD’s
Earthquake Response Framework will also strengthen the city’s
crisis response, asset management and operational resilience.


Iller Bankasi will serve as the implementing agency for the
Osmaniye project, overseeing the disbursement of municipal
infrastructure financing from international financial institutions
in the earthquake-affected region. As part of the initiative, the
municipality will also enhance resident data collection to improve
accessibility, service delivery and public health outcomes.


The EBRD remains one of Türkiye’s largest investors, with more
than €23 billion committed in the country since 2009, largely
focused on the private sector.