RTL among applicants for ATV-Sabah auction (Turkey)

ATV, Sabah and other assets were seized from one of Turkey's leading businessmen, Turgay Ciner, after the TMSF said secret agreements between Ciner and the previous owner had come to light. (Additional reporting by Ercan Ersoy; writing by Daren Butler; editing by Elizabeth Fullerton and Matthew Tostevin)

I RTL Group, Europe's biggest commercial broadcaster , is in a consortium applying for pre-qualification in the auction of Turkish media firm ATV-Sabah, its Turkish partners said on Monday.

Officials from Turkey's Savings Deposits and Insurance Fund , which is holding the auction, said three groups had applied for pre-qualification by 3 pm , but said it was technically possible for there to be more applications.

The TMSF seized the assets making up ATV-Sabah in April and the worth of the company has been set at a minimum $1.1 billion.

RTL Group joined Turkey's ATP Construction and Sancak Construction in the consortium, ATP's parent companies Ipek and Koza said in a statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange.

Ipek Printing and Koza Invitations said in statements their unit ATP Construction had a 37.5 percent stake, Sancak Construction 37.5 percent and RTL Group Central & Eastern Europe GmbH a 25 percent stake in the partnership.

" applied on November 16...to seek pre-qualification and to enter the data room for assessments in the tender opened for ATV-Sabah," the statements said.

Ipek shares were down 0.65 percent at 7.6 lira and Koza shares were 1.42 percent lower at 20.9 lira after the announcement.

The auction was previously postponed to Dec. 5 from Nov. 7. The data room will close on Nov. 30 and sealed envelopes must be delivered by Dec. 4. An official at the TMSF had previously said that Luxembourg-based RTL had expressed an interest in the tender. That official said Rupert Murdoch's News Corp , German ProSiebenSat.1 , Prague-listed CME and unlisted Greek broadcaster Antenna TV had also expressed interest.

RTL Group has stakes in 39 TV channels and 29 radio stations across 10 European countries. German media conglomerate Bertelsmann [BERT.UL] owns 90 percent of RTL.

The ATV-Sabah group includes popular entertainment channel ATV, major daily Sabah, smaller newspaper Takvim and other publications. Foreign companies have to find local partners to bid with, as a law limits foreign ownership of broadcasters to 25 percent. The sale is expected to be completed in January 2008, providing competition and other authorities give their approval.

ATV, Sabah and other assets were seized from one of Turkey's leading businessmen, Turgay Ciner, after the TMSF said secret agreements between Ciner and the previous owner had come to light. (Additional reporting by Ercan Ersoy; writing by Daren Butler; editing by Elizabeth Fullerton and Matthew Tostevin)