MTS takes Sistema’s place in Telsim bid

Mobile TeleSystems will take the place of parent company Sistema in the bid for Turkish wireless operator Telsim. Final bids for the company are due to be submitted on 5 December, with the result due to be announced on 13 December. According to local press reports there are 15 interested arties involved in the bidding process, including Vodafone, France Telecom and Telenor. Analysts predict the sale could raise up to USD5 billion for the Turkish government, helping to compensate it for having to cover for losses incurred by the collapse of the Uzan family’s empire.