Türkiye earns $ 5.8 bln from privatization in January-August 2008

Hurriyet English - Türkiye has earned $5.8 billion from privatization since the beginning of 2008, the Anatolian Agency quoted officials as saying on Sunday. Türkiye earned $2.04 billion from the privatization of Petrochemical Holding Co. (Petkim), the sale for which concluded in May. British American Tobacco made the highest bid of $1.72 billion in February in an auction for the Turkish state-owned cigarette company Tekel (Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Salt and Alcohol Enterprises Inc). Türkiye has so far earned $1.9 billion from the public offering of 15 percent of shares in Turk Telekom, which will conclude on Dec. 31, 2008.