Turkey’s leading GSM carrier Turkcell has delayed its debut in Western Europe, director general Süreyya Ciliv revealed yesterday.
Ciliv told journalists at the CeBIT trade fair in Germany the firm would open for business in the country in April, despite originally targeting a launch during 1Q10 when it unveiled a five year deal to piggyback on Deutsche Telekom’s 3G networks in the country in October.
The operator will target 3.5 million Turks living in Germany through its Turkcell Europe subsidiary, Turkish daily Didim Today reports. The division will head expansion into other European countries, with rollout determined by the number of Turkish ex-pats living in each market.
The operator has pledged to abolish roaming rates for ex-pats living in Germany, as it seeks to grab a 4% share of the market.