MTN Group Limited Files Motion to Dismiss Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S.' US Lawsuit-DJ

Dow Jones reported that MTN Group Limited has filed papers in the U.S. in a bid to dismiss a lawsuit concerning a deal in Iran brought against it by Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. In March, Turkcell filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District of Columbia against MTN seeking $4.2 billion in damages related to the award of a license in Iran. The filing comes after a deposition by Turkcell's key witness, a former MTN executive in Iran, accusing the South African mobile phone company of bribing officials from Iran and South Africa. It also takes place against a background of U.S. and Europe ramping up sanctions against Iran and those that do business with the country. Turkcell filed the suit in the U.S. under the Alien Tort Statute, which has mainly been used for human rights violations and allows non-U.S. citizens to bring civil suits in U.S. federal courts for violations of international law. Turkcell alleges that MTN engaged in bribery and other acts of corruption to secure the license.