Privatisation of state Turk Telekomunikasyon (Turk Telekom) is now not expected until 1997, according to a senior official of the government's Privatisation Administration (OIB). The sale was once expected to provide much of the $20,000 million targeted for privatisation receipts in 1996.

The programme of the new coalition government pledges a renewed privatisation drive through legislation enabling the privatisation of energy, transport and telecommunications in the first half of 1996.

However, telecoms privatisation will not be possible before 1997, OIB vice-president Yalcin Atli said on 25 March. He added that a new draft law for the sale of telecoms presently being considered by the cabinet will take at least three months to pass though parliament.

Observers say it is uncertain that this fourth attempt at a legal framework for telecoms privatisation will be any more successful than the previous three in 1993, blocked by the constitutional court.