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MTN Condemns US Legal Action by Turkcell Over Iranian Investment
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South Africa's based MTN has condemned Turkcell's attempt to use the threat of a U.S. legal claim to -- as it puts it -- extort money from MTN.
Turkcell had threatened MTN with litigation in the United States alleging claims of corruption in relation to MTN's bid to participate in the second mobile phone network in Iran. In 2005, a consortium that included MTN was awarded the licence.
MTN has now appointed a UK judge, Lord Hoffmann to lead an independent investigation of the allegations. Although MTN believes there is no legal merit to Turkcell's claims and no basis for a U.S. court to consider them, it had nonetheless sought to obtain Turkcell's cooperation with the independent investigation.
MTN says that the talks brok down as a result of Turkcell's "extortionate demands for damages" and their threat to start a lawsuit in the USA.
"Turkcell's threat to abuse the U.S. legal system to pressure MTN will not succeed," said an MTN spokesman. "MTN wants Turkcell's cooperation with the independent investigation."
Turkcell's accusations involve conduct alleged to have taken place in South Africa and Iran, and MTN said that they have no connection to the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court is widely expected to restrict such claims in a case that was argued last week.
Tags: [mtn] [turkcell] [Iran] [USA] [South Africa] [Turkey]
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