TeliaSonera has begun litigation at the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) International Court of Arbitration against Turkish holding company Cukurova. TeliaSonera claims that Cukurova breached a shareholders agreement by selling shares in Turkcell to Russian powerhouse Alfa without giving it (TeliaSonera) first right of refusal. Cukurova originally agreed to sell 27% of Turkcell to the Nordic group in March for USD3.1 billion; two months later however it reneged on the agreement and announced a ‘financing deal’ with Alfa worth USD3.3 billion, which includes the sale of a 13% stake.