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TurkCell eyeing to buy share in Azerbaijani mobile operator (exclusive)

ICT Materials 18 September 2015 18:35 (UTC +04:00)
The largest mobile operator in Turkey, TurkCell, starts negotiations on acquisition of assets of TeliaSonera in Azerbaijan
TurkCell eyeing to buy share in Azerbaijani mobile operator (exclusive)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18

By Huseyn Veliyev - Trend:

The largest mobile operator in Turkey, TurkCell, starts negotiations on acquisition of assets of TeliaSonera in Azerbaijan, a source in the TurkCell company told Trend Sept.18.

"It is expected that the negotiations between the Azerbaijani mobile operator Azercell Telecom LLC company and TurkCell about the latter's control over Azerbaijani mobile operator will be held early next week in Baku," said the source.

The probability of transfer of Azercell Telecom into the ownership of TurkCell is estimated on the level of 80-90 percent by the source in the agency.

The message of the state body of Turkey to inform the public (Kamuoyunu Aydınlatma Platformu - KAP) released Sept.16 said that the Turkish mobile operator Turkcell has started work on the acquisition of 58.55 percent of TeliaSonera's shares in Fintur Holdings B.V. due to business expansion of Turkcell in the region.

Fintur Holdings B.V., where TeliaSonera owns 58.55 percent of assets, holds share in Azercell Telecom.

Currently, the Turkish Azertel Telekomunikasyon Yatirim Diş Ticaret A.S., a part of Fintur Holdings B.V., is the 100-percent shareholder of Azercell.

On Sept. 18, TeliaSonera said it plans to reduce its presence in the Eurasian region.

The company said that as part of its new strategy it will focus on Europe, particularly on Sweden, and will reduce presence in Eurasia, including Nepal, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Tajikistan.

TeliaSonera plans to completely leave the Eurasian region over time.

The process of reducing the company's presence in Eurasia, according to TeliaSonera, has already begun, but at this stage it is impossible to estimate how long it will take.

Meanwhile, the process of forming the company's new strategy is well underway, according to the message.

Commenting on the issue of changing the unified brand identity of TeliaSonera (purple stone), TeliaSonera Eurasia company said that the group of companies will operate under the common brand identity until it has new shareholders.

The unified brand identity of TeliaSonera has been used in its divisions in the markets of Eurasian region and in the companies operating in Scandinavia and Baltic states since 2009. This brand identity has been used by Azerbaijan's Azercell Telecom since 2010.

Edited by CN

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Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyev

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