Iran Turkcell deal sent to parliament

The government move came after the Iranian parliament, or Majlis, adopted a bill late last month, effectively putting on hold the $3-billion contract with Turkcell to operate Iran’s second private GSM mobile telephone license by requiring the government to seek its approval first.

The approval is also mandatory for a contract with Turkish-led Tepe-Akfen-Vie consortium, which won a tender to operate Tehran’s international Imam Khomeini Airport.

A committee will discuss the Turkcell contract before sending it to the parliamentary floor for a vote. Conservative Iranian parliamentarians have argued that the company should not be allowed to control communications, arguing that it has Israeli ties.

Head of the Majlis’ Telecommunication Committee Ramazan Ali Sadeqzadeh said the Majlis was expecting the government to draft a bill, limiting the Turkcell share in the GSM license deal to 49 percent and leaving the remaining 51 percent to Iranian companies, Anatolia said, quoting a report by Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA).

The Majlis’ adoption of the bill putting the Turkcell and TAV contracts on hold came only days before a planned visit by Iranian President Muhammad Khatami to Turkey and forced the reformist president to cancel the visit.

Majlis President Gulamali Haddadadil said the bill was not politically-motivated and not aimed at weakening the government.

He said the Majlis would not oppose the contracts if it found that they were not in line with the national interests of Iran.