ISTANBUL - Turkish company Turkcell said Friday it was looking for a formula to save a major telecom deal with Iran after its share was reduced from 70 to 49 percent under pressure by Iranian hardliners.
Turkcell director-general Muzaffer Akpinar told reporters it was seeking an option that would give the company a controlling position in the management of what would be Iran's second mobile telephone network to make up for the shrinkage of its stake, Anatolia news agency reported.
"If we manage to give confidence (to the Iranians) and if we obtain these (management) rights, we would welcome such a formula," Akpinar said.
"The situation is not 100 percent negative," he said. "We think there is a ground to negotiate."
Akpinar explained that the company was seeking an agreement under which Irancell's management structure would be set up on a basis "independent from issues of security and ownership."
The Iranian parliament approved in February legislation to reduce Turkcell's share in the contract after hardliners argued that having a telephone network run by a foreign company was contrary to national security.
Turkcell was awarded the contract last year, subject to the payment of a 300-million-euro licence fee.
05/27/2005 13:16 GMT