SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 or 15d-16 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Report on Form 6-K dated December 4, 2003
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TURKCELL ILETISIM HIZMETLERI A.S.
Turkcell Plaza
Mesrutiyet Caddesi No.153
34430 Tepebasi
Istanbul, Turkey
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or
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Form 20-F: |X| Form 40-F: |_|
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the
Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
Yes: |_| No: |X|
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the
Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
Yes: |_| No: |X|
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this form is also thereby furnishing
the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b)
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes: |_| No: |X|
Enclosures: Press release dated December 4, 2003 - Turkcell Provides Update On
Dispute With Turk Telekom On Interconnection Fee Structure
[TURKCELL LOGO] [GRAPHIC OMITTED]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TURKCELL PROVIDES UPDATE ON DISPUTE WITH TURK TELEKOM ON
INTERCONNECTION FEE STRUCTURE
Istanbul, Turkey: December 4, 2003--Turkcell (NYSE:TKC, ISE: TCELL), the leading
provider of mobile communications services in Turkey, today announced a new
development regarding the interconnection fee dispute between Turk Telekom and
Turkcell.
In November 2000, Turk Telekom demanded that Turkcell share all interconnection
fees equally with Turk Telekom going forward and retroactively from April 1998
as a result of the favorable decision acquired by the Turkish Electrical
Engineer's Society ("EES") in their lawsuit against Turk Telekom filed with the
Ankara Ninth Administrative Court in October 2000. In that lawsuit, the EES
claimed that the interconnection fee regime set out in the Interconnection
Agreement between Turkcell and Turk Telekom violated public policy. Although
Turkcell was not a party to this lawsuit, the Ankara Ninth Administrative Court
annulled the interconnection fee structure set out in the Interconnection
Agreement between Turkcell and Turk Telekom. However, in July 2003, Turkcell
obtained a court decision from the Ankara Seventh Commercial Court, which stated
that Turk Telekom should continue to comply with the original interconnection
agreement until a new contract was reached. Furthermore, following Turk
Telekom's demand for opinions concerning the Ankara Ninth Administrative Court's
decision regarding revenue distribution, both the Ankara Ninth Administrative
Court and the Court of Cassation issued decrees implying that the Ankara Ninth
Administrative Court's prior verdict did not involve equal interconnection fee
sharing and stated that the conflict should be resolved by a mutual agreement by
the parties.
On December 3, 2003, Turk Telekom informed Turkcell that it has stopped making
its monthly interconnection fee payments in accordance with the recently
obtained injunction from the Ankara First Commercial Court. Previously, the
Ankara First Commercial Court twice rejected Turk Telekom's similar claims.
Accordingly, Turk Telekom did not make the interconnection fee payment for
October 2003 that is scheduled for November 30, 2003, amounting to TL35.9
trillion (approximately US$24.7mn as of today). The lawsuit overseen in the
Ankara First Commercial Court involves the interconnection fee payments
applicable for the period of September 2001 to August 2002, amounting to TL490
trillion (approximately US$355.9 mn as of September 30, 2003).
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Considering the new interconnection agreement between Turk Telekom and Turkcell,
which does not entail equal sharing of interconnection fees, the court decision
of the Ankara Seventh Commercial Court and opinions of the Court of Cassation
and the Ankara Ninth Administrative Court, Turkcell believes that the recent
injunction decision is unfair and inconsistent with the prior court decisions.
Additionally, Turkcell believes that the non-payment conflicts created by Turk
Telekom are not reasonable and against the principles of the new interconnection
agreement signed between the parties.
The case regarding the essence of this dispute continues in the Ankara Seventh
Commercial Court.
www.turkcell.com.tr
About Turkcell
Turkcell is the leading GSM operator in Turkey with approximately 18.2 million
postpaid and prepaid customers as of September 30, 2003. Turkcell had revenues
of US$ 1,839.4 million during the nine month period ended September 30, 2003.
Turkcell provides high-quality wireless telephone services throughout Turkey and
has coverage of 100% of the towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants. Turkcell
provides roaming with 352 operators in 141 countries as of September 30, 2003.
At the end of 1999, Turkcell became the first GSM operator in Turkey to be
awarded the prestigious ISO 9001 certificate for the quality of its service.
Turkcell is the only NYSE listed company in Turkey. Turkcell has interests in
international GSM operations in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and
Northern Cyprus, which ave a total of 2.1 million subscribers as of September
30, 2003.
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For further information please contact:
Contact:
Turkcell: Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Investors: Europe:
Koray Ozturkler, Investor Relations Kate Delahunty
Tel: +90 212 313 1500 Tel: +44-20/7282-2934
Email: koray.ozturkler@turkcell.com.tr Email: kate.delahunty@citigatedr.co.uk
Toby Moore
Murat Borekci, Investor Relations Tel:+44-20/7282-2999
Tel: + 90 212 313 1503 Email: toby.moore@citigatedr.co.uk
Email: murat.borekci@turkcell.com.tr or
investor.relations@turkcell.com.tr
United States:
Media: Victoria Hofstad/Jessica Wolpert
Zuhal Seker, Corporate Communications Tel: +1-201-499-3500
Tel: + 90 212 313 2330 Email: victoria.hofstad@citigatefi.com
Email: zuhal.seker@turkcell.com.tr jessica.wolpert@citigatefi.com
or
Bahar Erbengi, Corporate Communications
Tel: + 90-212/313-2309
Email: bahar.erbengi@turkcell.com.tr
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
TURKCELL ILETISIM HIZMETLERI A.S.
Date: December 4, 2003 By: /s/ MUZAFFER AKPINAR
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Name: Muzaffer Akpinar
Title: Chief Executive Officer