Clifford Chance and Yegin Ciftci advised the lenders on a landmark project: the privatisation of Menzelet and Kilavuzlu hydroelectric power plants which is the largest acquisition to date of hydroelectric power plants by a domestic investor in Turkey. This privatisation is an important step towards the future goal of all electricity being generated by private suppliers.

Entek Elektrik Uretimi A.S. was the winning bidder of a competitive privatisation tender, to operate two hydroelectric power plants in Kahramanmaras province in Turkey's south-east, namely Menzelet, with a total installed capacity of 124 MW and Kilavuzlu, with a total installed capacity of 54 MW. Entek is a subsidiary of the country's largest diversified conglomerate Koc Holding and continues its operations since 1995 as an electricity generation company having six hydroelectric power plants and one gas fired power plant with a total installed capacity of 244 MW.

The financing package of about 1.5 billion Turkish Lira (TL) (equivalent of USD 375 million) will be provided partly in TL and partly in USD by EBRD and commercial banks comprising Garanti Bank, Isbank, Akbank, Yapi Kredi, Unicredit and ICBC Turkey for the acquisition from the Privatisation Administration of Turkey of the operating rights of the Menzelet and Kilavuzlu hydroelectric power plants.

Clifford Chance's team was led by London based partner Simon Williams and assisted by senior associate Rebecca Shepherd and Yegin Ciftci team was led by Mete Yegin, assisted by senior associate Sait Eryilmaz and associate Seda Isinman.