Turkcell signs $1 billion loan for Turkiye 5G rollout

Turkcell signed a $1 billion syndicated loan financing deal to fund its 5G and next-generation communications investments as Turkiye prepares to launch 5G on 1 April. The facility includes participation from 14 banks and was structured to support the operator's network investment plans in Turkiye.

The financing was arranged under a Murabaha structure and was initially launched to a select group of lenders at $500 million before being oversubscribed and increased to $1 billion. HSBC acted as sole coordinator and bookrunner, and participating lenders included Kuwait Finance House, BNP Paribas, and Dubai Islamic Bank. The loan has a seven-year final maturity, compared with a typical five-year market standard, and includes a two-year grace period on principal payments.

The deal follows Turkiye's 5G auction, which concluded in October 2025 and raised $3 billion in total, with Turkcell identified as the biggest spender. The operator said recent escalations in the Middle East created supply chain concerns and more difficult financial conditions in the GCC, making the financing environment more challenging as operators prepare for 5G deployment.