
Alfa has been locked in a battle with one of Turkcell's founder's, Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, for control of the mobile operator. Last year, a company controlled by Karamehmet, Cukurova Holding, paid Alfa USD 1.6 billion for the stake in Turkcell, financing its offer through a loan from Ziraat. Now, Alfa has offered to buy that back at a substantial premium. Turkcell is 51 percent owned by another holding company, Turkcell Holding. Alfa holds a 13.22 percent stake in Turkcell through ownership in that unit.