The local Mapa is the low bidder, at $47.8 million, for the turnkey construction of an international airport at Carsamba near the city of Samsun on the Black Sea coast. The treasury is evaluating Mapa's financial offer, arranged from The Export-Import Bank of Japan (Jeximbank) by Japan's Marubeni Corporation.

All the bidders are local companies. The others are Ceylan, at $52.3 million, Bayindir, at $52.8 million, and Tekfen with Intes, at $52.9 million

Mapa's rivals are offering financing from the state institution Emlak Bankasi. A bid of $32.3 million was returned by a venture of Alsim Alarko with Akfen but was disqualified.

The contract calls for the construction of a runway three kilometres in length and 45 metres wide, an apron, terminal building, and all ancillary structures and infrastructure, such as meteorological and customs buildings, together with all mechanical and electrical services. Work will take about three years.

On completion, the airport is expected to serve increasing traffic from Russia, and the Turkic republics of the former Soviet Union. The existing airport at Samsun is considered too small.

The project is the first of six or seven such regional airports that are expected to be put out to tender in 1994 by the railway, port and airport construction department of the Public Works & Housing Ministry.