Deals

Banks Are Poised to Take a Majority Stake in Turk Telekom

  • About 90 percent of banks approved plan to control new SPV
  • Banks, companies have been locked in talks since Sept. 2016

Otas borrowed the money in 2013 to refinance its acquisition of a 55 percent stake in Turk Telekomunikasyon AS.

Photographer: Staton R. Winter/Bloomberg

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Creditors that provided a $4.75 billion loan to the majority owner of Turkey’s largest phone operator are in the final stages of setting up a special purpose vehicle to take over the company as they seek to resolve the country’s biggest default, people with knowledge of the matter said.

About 90 percent of banks have formally approved the formation of an SPV that would assume control of Ojer Telekomunikasyon AS, or Otas, said the people, asking not to be identified because the talks are private. The remaining 10 percent have informally agreed and have until Thursday to officially approve, they said.