Turkey hits the big time

With negotiations for Turkey’s entry to the EU under way – albeit with a long lead-in time – completed privatizations, foreign direct investment and domestic deal-making are growing apace despite continuing bureaucratic hold-ups. David Judson reports.

THE RECORD PACE of deal-making in Turkey – a refinery changing hands here, a steel plant on the block there – has Vural Akisik, chairman of Turkey’s largest petrol retailer, Petrol Ofisi, and a reputed deal-maker, pondering what might have been and how things have changed beyond recognition. Akisik is the acknowledged architect of last spring’s sale of Turkey’s Disbank to Belgium’s Fortis for a then head-turning $1.1 billion.

The topic of deals puts Akisik into the mood of the old track star reflecting on the Olympic final he almost made.

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