Turkcell CEO eyes Iranian deals as sanctions lifted

Turkcell is looking for acquisition opportunities to expand regionally and Iran could be a target market as sanctions against Tehran are lifted, the chief executive of Turkey's largest mobile operator said on Jan. 18.

"Iran is a huge market and in our focus," Kaan Terzio?lu said in an interview with Reuters. "We are closely watching the Iranian market and in touch with all of its fixed line and mobile operators."

Turkcell has had a longstanding interest in Iran. In 2004 it led a consortium that won a mobile license in Iran that was later given to a rival group headed by South Africa's MTN Group . It later tried to sue MTN in a U.S. court but eventually dropped that suit.

Like many mobile operators, Turkcell is looking to reposition itself as a telecom services firm by increasing revenues from data, television and music services. Through acquisitions, it is hoping to source as much 40 percent of its revenue from overseas, from around 9 percent now.

Although looking to expand its regional reach, it has not ruled out selling its nearly 42 percent stake in mobile firm Fintur, Terzio?lu said.

Fintur has operations in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova and is majority owned by Sweden's TeliaSonera, which is looking to sell its own stake in the Eurasian firm.

Turkcell said in November it would make a non-binding indicative offer for the TeliaSonera stake. However, it could instead consider selling out if the right offer came along, Terzioglu said.

"If we are convinced that the price is high enough, we may consider selling our stake in Fintur," he said.

Terzioglu said the company would proceed with plans to pay a dividend again this year after its feuding shareholders called a rare truce last...