Some participants in a tender for a majority stake in fixed-line operator Turk Telekom are seeking an extension to the bidding deadline, but authorities have not yet decided whether to agree, Turkish officials said on June 3. They told Reuters some investors wanted an extension as work was continuing on forming consortiums to take part in the tender for the state firm, which is at the heart of Turkey's IMF-backed privatisation programme.
The Privatisation Administration (OIB) has already extended the deadline for bids to June 24 from May 31.
The government last November launched the 55 percent stake sale of Turk Telekom, which analysts say could be worth several billion dollars in total. A number of foreign investors have expressed interest in the stake.
Turkey's Koc Holding said this week it had sought permission from the OIB for a partnership with TC Group LLC, a company in the US-based Carlyle Group, as part of its bid.
Koc Chief Executive Officer Bulent Ozaydinli told Reuters on Friday his group would be one of the main partners in its consortium. Koc is also holding consortium talks with Telecom Italia.
Other bidders include Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Saudi Oger Ltd, which includes Saudi Telecom and a joint venture linking Emirates Telecommunications Corporation with Cetel Calik Enerji and Dubai Islamic Bank.
A subsidiary of leading Turkish mobile phone operator Turkcell, Turktell Bilisim, and Turkish Privatisation Investors will lead a 14-member consortium. The other two bidders are the Turkish conglomerate Dogan Holding and Turkish business group Oyak.
Several companies including Belgium's Belgacom SA and Spain's Telefonica SA have withdrawn from the planned sale.
Turk Telekom has 19 million subscribers, and according to sector analysts is the world's 13th largest telecoms group.
It technically lost its monopoly status last year after the government opened the market to competition, but still controls the market with no rivals yet in the landline sector.
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