Japan’s JTI: We’ll Buy TEKEL

After confirming that his company had two important competitors, Kimura said, "However, we are sure of ourselves. We’ll purchase TEKEL, which possesses 61 per cent of the Turkish cigarette market. The state will profit most from working with us. We’re the strongest firm bidding for TEKEL. We’ll be the most responsive to the needs of the Turkish government." Kimura acknowledged the significance of the prestigious brand names presently distributed by TEKEL, saying that JTI would help to significantly increase the success of the brands. Kimura said, "We have no doubt about the successful future of Turkey." Kimura also said that his optimistic viewpoint was supported JTI’s ten-year success story.

JTI Deputy Chairman Responsible for Work Development Gode Fridus Vranken stated that 115 billion cigarettes are sold in the Turkish cigarette market annually and that Turkey tanks sixth or seventh in the world market. Vranken said that his company expected the Privatization Administration to clarify an issue, requiring the winning TEKEL bidder to purchase set volumes of unrefined tobacco from the producers, by the end of this month.

Vranken said that, in a recent meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Privatization Administration Metin Kilci and Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, the Turkish officials had said there was nothing preventing JTI’s purchase of TEKEL. Vranken said, "We don’t even entertain the possibility of not winning the bid. Our goal is to purchase only the cigarette production and distribution." Vranken said that the existing JTI facility employs, at the most, 8,000 workers in its cigarette production line. A journalist stated that TEKEL presently employs 32,000 workers.

Ismail Altunsoy, Mustafa Yagmu / Izmir / TURKEY