Çalık refutes seized BMC buying claims

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey’s Çalık Group has rejected claims it is to acquire motor company BMC, one of Çukurova Group’s companies seized by the state fund.

“While the group is not operating in the automotive sector, it also doesn’t have any plans or aims of entering into it either,” the company told the Hürriyet Daily News in a written statement Sept.17.

Some previous reports had claimed Çalık was set to buy the vehicle maker from Turkey’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), which seized BMC in May.

However, the group moved to put an end to these claims with yesterday’s statement.

“Çalık Holding, which operates in the energy, telecom, construction, finance, media, textile and mining sectors, is providing employment for almost 20,000 people with its operations in 17 countries. While the group is not operating in the automotive sector, it also doesn’t have any plans or aims of entering into it either,” the statement said. The sources had claimed that Çalık was encouraged by the government’s local car manufacturing push to the private sector.